Overboard
by finleybaby
Summary: Sometimes it only takes a moment for your world to come crashing down, but for every broken piece there's an opportunity to rebuild.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone. *waves* This is my first fic for Glee that I've published (certainly not the first I've written though!) so I really would like to know what you think. Most importantly if the characters seem, well…out of character. This fic takes place in the future so I suppose it could be considered AU, but you get the idea. I hope you all enjoy!**

It was mid-October, and autumn was quickly rolling in to Lima, Ohio. The leaves began to change and fall from the trees as warm breezes were less frequent and cooler air replaced the warmth of summer. Emma didn't mind as she admired the beautiful colors of the trees as she pulled into her parking spot in front of the apartment she shared with her husband.

She turned off the ignition, putting her keys into her purse and sighed briefly, just taking in the scent of autumn. It was certainly one of her favorite seasons, but then again there was something she loved about all of the seasons.

As she stepped out of the car she realized just how cold it had actually become so she grabbed her coat from the passenger side door and wrapped it around her frame, buttoning its large sized buttons as she did so. She pressed the wrinkles out of the garment that had accumulated from sitting in the front seat and stopped for a moment as her hands hovered over the small bump that had recently appeared in her abdomen. Emma was nearly 5 months pregnant with her and Wills first child.

It hadn't quite sunk in that they were really expecting until a morning just over a month ago when she first noticed the small change in her midsection. She had observed the difference while trying to zip up a pencil skirt, and when the zipper got stuck she couldn't help but share the news with her husband.

"_Will! Come here!" She half screamed, excitedly. He quickly emerged from the bathroom with a towel hanging over his shoulder and a small amount of shaving cream on his cheekbone. _

"_What is it, Em?" He asked with slight look of panic over the sound of her voice. He had clearly assumed that something was wrong, his thoughts only easing once he saw the smile on her face and the amazing glow she emitted. They had been married for two years, yet she still took his breath away._

"_Come here," Emma said with a smile, reaching her hand out for him to grab. He complied, and once he reached her he grabbed her outstretched hand. She turned parallel to the mirror and as he stood behind her she wrapped his hand around her, resting it on her ever-so-slightly swollen middle. Will looked in the mirror as realization hit him, and a grin bigger and brighter than any she had seen instantly appeared on her husbands' face, only to be matched by her own._

They were having a baby. _Together._

Sometimes Emma still had to pinch herself as a reminder that it was all real. A cold draft blew through Emma's hair, snapping her back into reality and pulling her from her dream. Only this wasn't a dream. She was married to the love of her life, and in 4 or 5 months' time would be sharing a family with him.

She smiled to herself as she decided the cold was motivation enough to hurry. She shut her front door and walked to the trunk, opening it to reveal the groceries she had just purchased. She put her purse on her shoulder and slid her cell phone into her jacket pocket as she collected the bags and swiftly closed the lid of the trunk.

After maneuvering the bags once more so they wouldn't fall, she proceeded to the second floor apartment that was now her home. Once she was to the door she put the groceries on the ground so she could dig for her keys. Another cold breeze rushed past her and she shivered for a brief moment while she cursed herself for putting the keys in her purse instead of in her pocket with her cell.

After finally locating the keys, she fingered to the right one and inserted it into the lock. As she turned the key, she noticed there was no click signaling that the door was unlocked. She looked at it for a moment, puzzled, and then grabbed the bags once more, opening the door.

"Will, the door wasn't locked. Did you lose your keys again?" She fidgeted with the door for a moment, closing it with her foot as she readjusted the bags which had shifted a little bit with her movement. When she didn't hear a response, she stopped her movement all together for a brief minute so she could listen for her husband. "Will?" She called out once more, but there was no response.

She stepped a few more feet into the apartment, the hair on the back of her neck now standing up straight. Something didn't feel right. She scanned the entryway, but didn't see anything. She moved in the direction of the kitchen to set the groceries down, but as she walked past the living room entry she felt two hands grab her shoulders from behind and slam her into the wall, causing her to drop her purse and send the grocery bags to the floor. She let out a small squeal of surprise as she felt her body slam into the wall, her arms and the right side of her face catching a majority of the impact. Stunned and dizzy, she took a second to steady herself as she tried to turn around and face her assaulter.

As she turned however, the hands grabbed her once more, this time on her left arm, pulling her to the floor and dragging her back through the entry way. She screamed at the pain that was running through her arm as she heard something crack and felt her body being dragged across the hardwood floor toward the front closet. He shoved her into the closet harshly and it wasn't until that moment that Emma actually got a chance to look at the person causing her such pain.

All she could see was a tall person with a hood over their head and black gloves, and things looked kind of blurry as it was. Focus was becoming harder for Emma as she became aware of a small amount of blood that was trickling from her forehead. She was slightly annoyed that she couldn't see the person responsible, but her fear of further injury outweighed any other emotion at the moment.

"You weren't supposed to be here! It wasn't supposed to happen like this!" A stern man's voice yelled. "Stay here. Stay here so I won't have to hurt you." Emma blinked through the tears in her eyes she didn't even realize she had acquired. Fear was overwhelmingly evident in her face and she hoped it didn't shine through too much to the man hovering over her small frame as she sat helplessly in a ball on the floor of the closet. He shut the closet door quickly, as darkness enveloped her senses, a throbbing in her head as well as her arm overpowering much of her focus. She tried to move for a brief moment, but the pain was too much for her. Panic began to set in as she realized that he may still be in the apartment and she should probably do as he asked and stay put so he didn't hurt her again. With that thought, the door to the apartment was slammed shut. She blinked back a few more tears as she used her right hand to pull her cellphone from her pocket. She was shaking intensely as she tried to look at the screen through her tears, and with one swift movement of her finger she held down the number one on the device until she could hear a ring. After two more rings, she heard a voice on the other line pick up and a small amount of relief washed over her.

"Hello?" Will asked into his cell phone.

"Will…" Emma half choked out, sobs beginning to wrack her body.

"Emma? What's wrong? Are you okay?" He asked, immediately noticing the fear and panic in his wife's' voice.

"I came home and someone just attacked me. I think my wrist is broken and I don't know if he stole anything but I was really scared, I AM really scared, and I didn't know what to do and I'm in the coat closet and I'm pretty sure I'm bleeding, and, and, and-" Emma rambled for a moment until Will cut her off.

"What? Emma, stay right where you are and stay on the line. I'm going to call 911. Do NOT hang up." He instructed firmly, but panic was immediately in his voice. He switched his phone over quickly to the dial pad and dialed the three numbers.

"Hello, this is 911. What's your emergency?" He could hear a gruff man ask.

"Hi, this is Will Schuster, my wife was just attacked in our apartment and she needs immediate medical help. Please, can you send someone?" Will gave the address and a few medical details to the operator then finally switched back to his wife. "Emma, I'm back. Are you still there?" He was trying to mask his panic as he was running down the hallway of McKinley high school with his keys and wallet. He didn't even remember grabbing them and leaving, as he was too focused on what he was doing. Not even a word to the Glee club he was in the middle of rehearsing was uttered, he just ran, leaving a panicked group of kids to wonder what the phone call was all about.

"Will, I'm scared…" A shaky Emma replied on the other line, clearly fighting consciousness at this point.

"Em, I'm on my way right now. I will be there in five! The ambulance will arrive any minute. Just stay with me, okay?" Will pleaded as he hopped into his car and quickly pulled out of the parking lot, ignoring all speed limit signs.

There was no response to his plea. "Emma?" He waited a moment. "Emma?" He said with a bit more panic. No reply. She had lost consciousness and he wasn't there yet. At that point, all bets were off. Will floored his gas pedal and sped to his home, afraid of what he would find once he arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

Will quickly pulled into his spot next to Emma's car and took the stairs two at a time, not even caring that he left his car door slightly ajar. He burst through the door and went straight to the coat closet, hoping with every fiber of his being that his wife and child were okay. His shaky hand reached for the door knob and he pulled it open as his heart ripped in two at what he saw. There, slumped on the floor, was his precious wife with her head resting against the wall, cellphone dropped to the floor. He swiftly and gently shook her shoulder as he said her name, "Emma?"

He was cautious, waiting for a response. "Emma honey, I'm here. Wake up." He said once more, moving the hair that had fallen into her face behind her ear. Still no response.

He could hear the sound of sirens getting closer and silently thanked whoever was up there for sending them. He knew well enough that if she had a concussion it was best to leave her still so it did not further any damage but it killed him not to wrap her into his arms. He just wanted to kiss her and tell her everything would be okay, but instead all he could do was stare at her motionless form and hold her hand, taking note of all of the injuries that were becoming more evident by the minute. He heard a knock on the front door that he had forgotten to close in his rush and a deep voice saying, "It's the paramedics. We got a call about an emergency at this address."

Will reluctantly let go of his wife's hand to usher in the paramedics and their equipment and show them to his wife.

"She's here." He said as he bit on his bottom lip for a moment as he looked to her frail for once more. "She called me and said she was attacked but I don't know what happened." Will felt useless as the paramedics were quickly at Emma's side, immediately scanning her for injury.

They expertly checked her pulse and wrapped a collar around her neck to stabilize her, and three of the men were able to quickly move her from the closet floor to a gurney he hadn't even noticed the fourth paramedic bring in. They efficiently went to work checking her vitals and starting an IV line, all the while attaching cords and monitors to her chest hands and abdomen. He was glancing between her heart rate monitor that faithfully beat a rhythmic pattern and her chest rising and falling. He was happy she was alive and breathing but he couldn't help wishing he was watching her breathing while she slept soundly in bed next to him. What he wouldn't give for that to be his reality instead of this nightmare of worry and heartache for the one he loves. Will was too entranced in his gazing that he didn't notice the two police officers until he heard someone speaking.

"Mr. Schuster?" One of the men in uniform asked.

"Hmm?" Will asked, snapping out of his gaze, not really wanting to tear his eyes off of his wife but knowing that the cops would want to talk to him.

"I'm Aaron Michaels with the Lima Police Department and this is my partner Eric Becker. I'm sure you are dealing with a lot right now but we need to ask you a few questions. Did your wife say anything to you about what happened?" The officer pulled out a note pad and pen and looked to Will expectedly. Wills focus was now being split between his wife, the monitors that he didn't really even understand, and the police officer standing in front of him trying to find answers that Will didn't have. One of the paramedics came around to the other side of the gurney, blocking Wills eyesight from Emma as he adjusted a wire on her chest.

Will reluctantly turned his full attention to the man who he finally observed was tall with dark buzzed hair. He looked like a commanding officer from some sort of military branch. His uniform was perfectly pressed and lint free and he aired a distinct element of professionalism, but Will could tell he was a kind man by the softness in his eyes. The same softness he saw whenever he looked into his wife's big brown ones. His heart ached once more.

"She called and said that she had been attacked. She said her wrist was broken and she wasn't sure if he had stolen anything." Will paused for a moment, replaying the call that had been playing on repeat in his head since he received it, this time scanning for anything that might stand out as important to the police.

"She didn't say much beyond that except that she was scared." Will hadn't noticed the tears that were spilling down his cheeks until he saw the sympathetic look officer Becker was giving him. Officer Michaels placed a hand on Wills shoulder in an effort to comfort him. Will smiled weakly at him as a thank you for the gesture, though it didn't seem to help any. Will wiped away the rogue tears as he took in a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions.

"Did she say anything about who was in the apartment? A physical description perhaps? Anything at all would help at this point Mr. Schuster." The officer stated, once again looking at Will hopeful.

Will shook his head, the feeling of uselessness beginning to become familiar at this point, "She didn't say. I'm sorry." The disappointment in his face was surely evident as he once again received sympathetic looks, this time from both officers.

"Okay, that's good for now. We will stop by the hospital later after she wakes up to make a formal statement. Thank you for your time." Officer Michaels extended his large hand and Will shook it reluctantly as the men left the apartment.

Will turned back to his wife who was still unconscious on the gurney. She looked so frail and helpless lying there and Will wanted nothing more than to wake her up and see the vibrancy in her face once more.

One of the paramedics turned to him, "We've got her stable. We are going to take her to Mercy East and get her fully checked out. Would you like to ride with us or follow?"

"I'll ride." Will stated, thankful that the paramedic offered.

"It will take a minute to get her downstairs and loaded into the ambulance. Is there anyone you would like to call?" The paramedic suggested. It obviously wasn't his first experience dealing with this kind of situation.

"Yeah, thanks." Will said, picking up his cell phone from where he had dropped it by the closet door. He fumbled with the buttons for a moment and then held it up to his ear. "Shannon, its Will." He said shakily after a moment.

"Emma was attacked and we're headed to the hospital now. Are you still at the school?" He paused for a moment to allow her to talk. "We don't really know anything yet. Can you tell the Glee kids where I am and let Figgins know we won't be at school tomorrow? I can call him later with more details." Will paused again as he listened to his friend. "Thanks Shannon, I'll see you there in a little bit." Another brief pause. "Bye."

Will hung up his phone, pleased that his friend had offered to come to the hospital with him. He didn't want to call either of their parents until he had gotten word from the doctor that everything was okay but it would be nice to have someone to wait with while he worried. Besides, Shannon was Emma's friend too, and he knew she would be more worried sitting at home than at the hospital with Will. They could support each other.

He quickly grabbed a coat from the coat closet that he suddenly resented and headed out the door after the paramedics. They loaded Emma into the back of the ambulance effortlessly and they began their quick ride to the hospital. Will looked out of the back window briefly at the apartment he shared with Emma. It wouldn't be the same going back there now.

The paramedics were busy checking monitors and chords while Will held tightly to Emma's right hand. He could see the purple and blue bruises forming rapidly on her left arm and knew it would be painful, so he decided the right hand was the safest bet, in case she woke up. He stared at his wife's angelic face and just wished over and over again that he could be the one on the bed and not her.

"Em, I'm here. I love you. You've got to wake up so we can make sure you're okay." He whispered lovingly to her, "Em, I love you. Can you hear me?" The last sentence was a bit of a plea and he didn't even care that the paramedics could hear him. For that moment it was just Will and Emma, alone in the ambulance.

As he watched her he noticed a movement in her face. It was her eyes, he was sure of it. They were beginning to move. Wills heart jumped into his throat as Emma's eyes fluttered for a moment. "Her eyes," Will said, looking hopefully at his wife. "They moved. I think she was trying to open them."

"Emma?" The paramedic called, rubbing his knuckle on her breast bone for a moment to initiate a response. After a minute and nothing happening, Will began to think it was all in his head. That is, until he saw it again. "Emma?" He asked her softly, brushing the side of her uninjured cheek with the back of his hand. "Emma baby, it's me. Can you wake up?" He pleaded to her, hoping with every fiber of his being that she would hear him.

Her eyes fluttered for a moment again, when finally they opened just a little bit. Emma coughed for a moment as her eyes began to focus on her surroundings.

"Will?" She asked, hoarsely.

"I'm right here Em, I've got your hand." He squeezed hers gently to reassure her that he was there.

"What's…Where am I?" She asked, still not fully aware of her surroundings. She tried to swallow but her mouth was dry.

"Were in an ambulance, Em. We are going to the hospital and the paramedics are taking really good care of you." He said, briefly making eye contact with the paramedic that was sitting across from him before the professional returned to his monitor and cord checking.

Emma seemed satisfied with this answer as she relaxed a little bit at his touch. "Is the baby okay?" She asked, weakly. Will looked to the paramedic again, not really knowing how to respond to her question.

"Emma," The paramedic that was closest to her head spoke up, "I'm Brent, one of the paramedics. You were attacked, but we aren't sure yet how extensive your injuries are. We won't know anything until we get to the hospital and let the doctors run some tests. Just take a few breaths and relax, we will be there in just a minute." The paramedic did his best to ease his patients mind, knowing they couldn't say anything conclusive until a battery of tests were run.

Emma processed this for a moment but still looked apprehensive. "But I got slammed into the wall. Do you know if the baby is okay?" She looked at him pleadingly, just needing to hear that everything would be alright. He looked to Will, and Emma's eyes followed. "Will? What if something happened to the baby?" Tears were beginning to form as an alarm rang, alerting the medics to a rise in her blood pressure.

Brent began before Will could respond, "Emma, I know you're worried, but it's important that you stay calm. We have a fetal monitor on you right now and the heart beat seems strong, but we won't know anything for sure until we get to the hospital. Can you focus on your breathing for me? You need to take a deep breath so you can calm yourself, okay?" He asked, holding his finger to Emma's pulse as he looked at her concerned.

The tears were still forming as Emma tried not to hyperventilate. She looked at Will, his knowing face sensing a panic attack coming on. He looked calmly at his wife and moved her hand from his, placing it on her abdomen, then resting his own hands on her belly as well.

"Emma, look at me." She held eye contact as she once again tried focusing on her breathing, which was still accelerating and becoming more shallow. "What do you feel?" He asked, gesturing to her hand.

Emma waited for a moment, and then felt a flutter under her hand. Will felt it too and a small smile spread across his face. "Do you feel that Em? That's our baby. Peanut is in there moving around just fine. He's a trooper, just like his mommy. Everything will be alright, we just need to get you to the hospital to run some tests, okay?" He asked calmly. Emma felt movement once again from her baby and continued to hold eye contact with her husband as her breathing began to steady. The paramedic looked at Will, obviously impressed with his ability to calm his wife.

"Or her." Will heard his wife's soft voice, breaking his focus on Brent. Will looked at her puzzled. Emma clarified, "You said he. The baby could be a her." Will couldn't help but smile at her weak comment as he leaned down to kiss her forehead lovingly.

The paramedic smiled at the couple as the ambulance came to a stop and the doors to the large vehicle opened as light poured in.


	3. Chapter 3

Before either of them knew it they were in one of the ER rooms with a doctor and three nurses who were helping Emma get into a gown and drawing blood. The doctor was more focused on the ultrasound machine that she was using to scan Emma's abdomen than anything else though. Both Will and Emma couldn't help but stare at the doctor's face as she scanned the screen for any signs of trouble. Once she was satisfied with her findings she turned to Emma.

"Mrs. Schuester, it seems there is some moderate bruising to your abdomen, but the fetus seems to be intact. I don't expect any complications from the pregnancy but we will keep you on a monitor for the next 24 hours to be sure. Your wrist however looks as though it may be fractured, so I'm going to order an ex-ray. I'm also ordering a CT. It seems as though you likely have a concussion and I want to check for any brain bleeds that may have developed as a result of the trauma. After that I will have a plastic surgeon stitch up the laceration on your forehead and your wonderful nurse Becky will bandage up your cheek for you. Over all, your health looks okay, but we will know more once the tests come back." The doctor placed a reassuring hand on Emma's shoulder. "Let me know if you have any questions." She said. Emma gave her a quick nod to show that she processed the information and with that, the doctor was headed out the door.

Emma looked to Will with tears beginning to pool in her eyes once more. "The baby is okay." She said to him with a tired smile, relief washing over every inch of her body.

Will couldn't help but smile back as relief poured through him too. "You're both okay." He gave her right hand a squeeze and kissed the middle of her forehead lightly. _Everything would be okay._

Emma fought back a sob as her right hand moved towards the growing bump. Will would have been concerned, but Emma had a glowing smile on her face, even as she cried. His hands found hers quickly and he began to cry as well as he stroked the spot his child was resting. So much had happened to both of them, and losing his baby…again, well Will wasn't sure he would be able to handle it.

"I love you so much Emma. I love both of you." Will said through silent tears as he looked into her beautiful brown eyes.

"We love you too." Emma said, her tears imitating his. She smiled to him as they shared a few moments together, safe in each other's eyes.

Emma was finally moved to a room after the tests had come back and her face had been stitched and bandaged. Her arm was in a freshly set purple cast, the color being Wills idea. Something about how it would look with her complexion. Emma had a moderate concussion, but the doctor said she would heal nicely. She would be in the hospital for a few days for observation however, much to Emma's distaste. Though, in reality, Emma wasn't sure she would be able to face the apartment just yet.

Will hadn't left Emma's side for more than five minutes since she had been in the hospital. Once to greet Shannon when she arrived, and once to sign some paperwork. Emma was happy to have him there and he was likely more of a comfort to her than he realized. He had called his parents as well as hers to fill them in on the situation and to kindly talk them out of coming to the hospital. She would be home in two days anyway and the doctor said mostly what she needed was rest, so it wouldn't be productive for many visitors to be there.

Emma was grateful. She told herself it was because she didn't want the stress of visitors but Will knew she was more embarrassed, ashamed even, for their parents to see her like that. Bruised. Broken. A mess. Emma knew their parents wouldn't judge her, but she couldn't take all of the sympathy stares right now. She was trying to keep her anxiety levels down but it was beginning to pose a problem. She would take deep breaths, try her counting techniques from therapy, and try to distract her wandering mind from the things that scared her, but she was only moderately successful.

It was easier not to think about it when Will was there. He was always a safe place for her whenever she needed one.

She couldn't help but feel anxious though. She knew the cops would be by for a statement soon and Emma was petrified. She was in no mood to talk about what had happened, and was truthfully afraid to relive the incident again. She could handle things as long as she avoided thinking about what had happened. In her apartment. _Which she would have to go back to…_

Emma swallowed hard as a knot developed in her stomach at the thought of having to face the place where she had been attacked in a few days' time. She couldn't help but wonder if she would ever feel comfortable or safe there again. Certainly not if Will wasn't home. He always made her feel safe. But what about those times when he had to stay late at school? She couldn't just hang around every time he needed to stay late. Especially once the baby came. Would she be better by the time the baby came? Physically, yes. Emotionally, however, she wasn't so sure.

Emma's thoughts were a whirl of emotion as she felt a few tears spring to her eyes. She wasn't even sure why she was crying. It was nice to be able to get it out though without anyone around. She knew she loved Will and could share anything with him, but she couldn't help feeling relieved that he was currently occupied elsewhere so she could cry without his worried gaze. She was trying to be strong for him because she knew he would worry himself sick, but it was becoming increasingly harder to hold it together. They hadn't even really talked about what had happened yet. Both were scared to broach the subject.

She knew they would talk about it eventually, but for right now it was all she could do to hold it together and keep her emotions from bubbling over. So…She would wait. Wait until she had a chance to process the event before reopening that fresh wound. Emma sighed, collecting her thoughts and calming the tears that had silently spilled down her cheeks. She was safe, her baby was healthy, and her husband was there. That's all that mattered.

Emma's thoughts were interrupted as a soft knock came from her hospital room door. She wiped once more at her cheeks to ensure they were dry and brushed her hair from her face with her hand in an attempt to look slightly less pathetic, then called out softly, "Come in."

The door creaked slightly as it opened, revealing a police officer. Emma's breath hitched slightly at the man, knowing his purpose.

"Hello Mrs. Schuester, I'm officer Michaels. This is my partner, Officer Becker." He gestured to the slightly shorter man walking into the room behind him, "We are with the Lima police department and we were wondering if now would be a good time to talk to you about the attack?" He gave a soft smile, presumably as a gesture of comfort, though it did little to ease Emma's distress.

Emma nodded fearfully, knowing that she would have to give a statement at some point, though nervous that it was going to happen now. Her thoughts were briefly interrupted as Will walked in through the hospital room door holding a paper bag. "Hey Em, I brought you some-" Will stopped himself moments before crashing into the police officer. "Whoa, sorry. I didn't see you there." Will said as he backed away slightly, already looking to his wife to gage her reaction to the men in her hospital room.

"No worries Mr. Schuester, were just here to take a statement." Officer Becker explained as he moved to the side, allowing Will room to pass him and join his wife's side once more.

"I see." Will said, nervousness evident in his face as well. Emma knew he was unsure about her emotional stability, and frankly wasn't sure if he would be ready to hear what had happened.

He turned to Emma and placed the paper bag on the table next to the bed. "I brought you some food in case you're hungry. I had Shannon grab some stuff from the apartment. It's a Peanut butter and Jelly. No crust. There are also some pretzels and grapes. I thought it might be more appealing than the dinner they serve here." Will said, gesturing to the lunch tray that had gone untouched.

There was some sort of meat chunk that was swimming in gravy as well as some mashed potatoes that looked questionable at best. Will knew that Emma needed to keep her strength up, and that wasn't going to happen with the hospital food she wouldn't touch.

Emma gave Will a grateful smile, "Thanks Will." She said. Though food was the farthest thing from her mind at this point, she couldn't help but feel a surge of love from the man that treated her like a princess whenever she needed it most.

"Mrs. Schuester," Officer Michaels began,

"Please, you can call me Emma." Emma said, knowing she was about to get very personal with this stranger.

"Emma." Officer Michaels said with a smile, pulling out his note pad and pen once more. "In order to file an investigation we need to get a formal report from you about the attack. Can you tell us exactly what happened when you arrived home?"

Emma reached for Wills hand and he grabbed it willingly, giving her a small kiss on the forehead. She relaxed just a little bit under his touch as she looked to the officer.

"Yes." She said, taking a deep breath before she began.

"I had arrived home around 4:15. I had stopped at the grocery store on my way home for a few things so I had my hands full when I got to the door. I had to dig for my keys, and when I put it into the lock I noticed the lock didn't turn." Emma looked to Will as he digested every word.

She returned her attention back to the cops and continued, "I knew that was strange but didn't think much of it. Sometimes my husband will forget to lock the door when he gets home." She looked to Will as he had a sheepish expression and averted his eyes momentarily.

"So I went in. I called Wills name but didn't get an answer. After that I went to put the groceries down in the kitchen, but then all of a sudden I was being slammed into a wall." Emma said, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. Will noticed this and began stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, gently urging her to continue as he gazed into her eyes with all of the strength she didn't have. She took another breath and began once more.

"The groceries fell on the floor and the soy milk spilled everywhere." Emma shuddered at the memory. "I tried to turn around to see who had hurt me, but when I did he…he grabbed my arm." Emma said, looking to her splinted arm as tears began to surface. "He pulled me down to the floor roughly and…and I heard a crack." Emma's lip began to quiver ever so slightly as she once again turned to Will. His eyes were teary as well and she could tell he wanted it all to stop. To not have to know what happened. To turn back time and make it all disappear. But she knew she had to continue. A single tear slid down her cheek as she continued to stare into her husband's eyes, the police officers lost somewhere in the background.

"I screamed when my wrist broke. The pain was…unimaginable." Will swiped a few tears from her cheeks as she looked into his eyes, needing to see the love he had for her to continue. "He dragged me from the hallway by the kitchen through the entry way, and shoved me into the hall closet. My ears started ringing when I hit the ground." Tears were flowing freely from both Will and Emma's face by this point, and Will wanted nothing more but to sweep his wife into his arms and kiss away the memory.

Emma concentrated more closely on the details, trying to play it back in her mind without missing anything, but also trying to not feel it all over again. "After…after he shoved me in the closet I got a chance to look at him. He was tall, maybe a few inches taller than Will. He was also rather slender. He had on a dark hooded jacket so I couldn't see his face but he had on these black leather gloves."

Her breath hitched momentarily as she remembered the events more clearly. Will brushed a few more tears from her cheek, though it did little good as they were quickly replaced with new ones. "He said something." Emma remembered, focusing on the memory with great concentration.

"What did he say?" The officer asked, waiting on baited breath.

"He told me to stay in the closet. So…so he wouldn't have to hurt me. He said I shouldn't have been home…and that it wasn't the way it was supposed to happen like this." Emma let out a small sob as Will scooted onto the side of the bed and pulled her into his arms.

Her emotions were catching up with her and she seemed to be losing the ability to compose herself. She snuggled into his chest as the tears stained his shirt. He didn't care though. This is what she needed. To feel safe. At least for a little while.

"Emma, did you recognize the attacker? The voice? Anything at all that was familiar about him?" Officer Michaels asked.

"No." Emma choked out. "He just closed the closet door and left. I…I panicked and called Will. I didn't know what else to do. I was so s-scared." Another round of sobs wracked Emma's body as she buried her face even further into Wills shirt. Will looked pleadingly at the officers to leave, and they seemed to take the hint.

"We are truly sorry for what happened to you Mrs. Schuester. I think we've got what we need here now." Officer Michaels said as he closed his note pad and placed it with the pen back into his pocket. "If you think of anything else, please don't hesitate to call either of us." He said, as he handed Will a business card. "Mr. Schuester, I will need to talk to you after you've returned to the apartment. We need to know if anything is missing and get a detailed report of anything that may be out of place. When you have the time, we would appreciate the call." Will nodded to the officer.

"Thank you for your time." Officer Becker said as he gave a sympathetic look to the couple. Both officers left the room, closing the door behind them so the couple could have some privacy.

Will was rubbing circles on Emma's back for what seemed like hours, though was likely only about 20 minutes. The cries became less and less until they were nothing but sniffles. The sniffles then turned into soft breathing as he realized that Emma was asleep. She had cried herself to sleep out of sheer emotional exhaustion.

Will kissed the top of her head and gently lay back onto the bed, allowing Emma to lay with him. He continued to stroke her back as she lay curled on his chest until he was sure she wouldn't wake. His heart ached for her, for everything she had been through, and everything she would have to go through as she healed. He also felt the sting of guilt. Why wasn't he home? If he had been there, none of this would have happened. She would be safe and wouldn't have to go through any of this.

Will let a few more tears fall as he looked lovingly at his wife's sleeping form. He would have to push aside his guilt though. His wife and unborn child needed him now, and that was all that mattered. He softly kissed her head once more, allowing her scent to fill him. A comfort only she could provide. He toed off his shoes and embraced his wife just a little bit tighter as sleep over took him; all other problems would be left for tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't know if anyone is actually reading this but I wanted to apologize for the delay. Life got in the way. (On a side note, I despise giving speeches!) This chapter may be a bit slow comparatively speaking, but it is necessary to build the plot. I am going somewhere with this fic, I swear. I hope you all enjoy it and if you get a chance let me know what you think. I'm beginning to question if anyone even cares about this fic any longer. *le sigh*

**Chapter 4**

Emma's eyes fluttered open as she attempted to clear the sleep from her mind. She closed them once more, not ready to face the brightness of the room. She shifted for a moment, her other senses taking over and alerting her to the fact that she wasn't in her own bed. Her eyes shot open at this realization as she quickly tried to adjust her vision to her surroundings. She took in the pale white walls of the hospital room as the memories of yesterday came flooding back in waves. Looking around she noticed that Will was nowhere to be found. Her anxiety was beginning to take over when she noticed the little yellow note on the table beside her bed. She picked up the paper, immediately recognizing the handwriting as her husbands. Her breathing relaxed a little bit at the sight of the familiar scrawl.

_Emma,_

_ Officer Michaels called around 8 and wanted me to come back to the apartment to make a claim on anything that was stolen or damaged. I should be back in an hour or two, but I have my cell if you need anything. Don't hesitate to call. I left a cup of tea for you for when you wake. _

_ All my love,_

_ Will_

Emma let out a small sigh as she absorbed the note. She looked to the table where she had found the note and noticed a white ceramic mug. She picked it up and smelled it, crinkling her nose in pleasure. Peppermint. The scent called to her, however, the mug was cold. She wondered how long it had been there waiting for her. Emma found the clock on the wall and noted the time. 9:53 A.M. Had she really slept for 12 hours?

She put the cold tea back on the table and picked up the telephone, trying to figure out how to dial outside of the hospital, which was proving difficult with a new cast she wasn't used to. Her mission was interrupted moments later though as she heard the turn of the doorknob.

She immediately brightened as her husband walked in and greeted her, "Good morning beautiful." He smiled at the phone in her hand. "Calling someone?"

Emma blushed a little bit as she put the phone back on the receiver, knowing Will knew exactly who she was attempting to call. "Not anymore." She smiled in return.

Will walked to the patient table and wheeled it to Emma's bed so it was sitting directly in front of her. He took out a disinfecting wipe from the bag he was carrying and began wiping it down as Emma looked on with a quizzical expression.

"What's that for?" She asked, curious about what was in the bag.

Will pulled out a few containers of food and placed them in front of her. "Brought you some breakfast." He said as he nodded toward the untouched food tray resting on the other table. She followed his gaze to the breakfast tray the hospital staff had undoubtedly left for her that morning that she honestly had no desire to eat.

"Thanks Will." Emma said genuinely as her husband opened a container of fruit and pulled out a whole wheat bagel from the bag.

"No Problem. I know how terrible hospital food can be, and you've got to keep your strength up so you can get out of here." He said as he planted a sweet kiss to her head.

The fruit looked delicious to Emma and it wasn't until she saw it that she realized just how hungry she was. She found the hand sanitizer in Wills bag of surprises and quickly rubbed some on her hands before she began to eat. Will took a seat at the foot of the bed as he watched Emma devour the fruit.

Will chuckled softly as he very rarely saw his wife drop the dainty woman act and stuff more than one bit into her mouth at a time, but he didn't blame her. He would be starving too in her situation. Emma noticed his soft laugh and realized that she was the object of his humor. She chewed and swallowed her bite as she reached for a napkin and dotted her lips.

"Will Schuester, are you laughing at me?" She asked after her mouth was no longer filled with fruit.

Will couldn't hide his amusement at this point as he broke into laughter at his wife's incredulous look. Emma's mock stern face softened as she too began to laugh. Will couldn't help but be thankful that she seemed to be feeling better spirited today.

"I would never laugh at you!" He said with a grin, making it quite evident that he was indeed being sarcastic.

Emma giggled at this. "Good."

They shared a soft smile as Emma turned her attention back to the grape she was holding. She popped it into her mouth and savored the taste. She really was thankful to have such a wonderful husband that knew her so well.

As she continued to chew she looked back to Will. "Was anything stolen when you went back to the apartment?"

Will looked at his feet for a minute as he looked more somber, alerting Emma immediately. Her breath hitched momentarily. "Will, what is it? What did he take?" The mood in the room had shifted and she was beginning to get nervous as he usually answered her questions directly. Pause could not be a good sign.

Will finally looked up and made eye contact with his wife. "He took a few things that seemed kind of…strange." Will said, trying to gage Emma's reaction before he continued. Emma was beginning to grow impatient sensing that there was something she still hadn't been informed of.

"Will, just tell me. I'm sure whatever it is can be replaced." She said, leaving her breakfast forgotten on the tray.

Will took a breath as he contemplated how to continue. "He took some pictures, a few of our home movies, your lotion and…and your toothbrush." He looked to her once more as her expression turned from one of worry to one of confusion. She blinked a few times, making sure she had heard him correctly.

"Wha-Why would he want those things?" She asked, truly puzzled.

"Em, he…he also looked in your underwear drawer. I don't know if anything is missing but the police want you to check when we get home… Em," He grabbed her hand in his as he looked into her confusion filled eyes, "Officer Michaels thinks you may have a stalker."

Emma inhaled sharply as panic began to rise. Feelings of fear, anxiety, and violation ran through her entire body, overtaking her entire frame as she attempted to process this new information.

"A-a…A stalker?" Emma questioned with a squeak. Will nodded and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Officer Michaels said we both need to make a list of everyone we know so they can start narrowing down the choices. He is also going to have an officer on duty at all times to protect you. He assured me they wouldn't let anything happen to you." Will tried his best to reassure his wife but he knew this was an impossible situation to deal with.

"Wow I…A stalker. Why would someone want to stalk me?" She asked searching his eyes for answers she knew he didn't have, but she searched anyway.

"I don't know. Sweetheart, we are going to get through this. Officer Michaels said that stalkers are more common than people think, and the majority of them have no interest in harm." Emma's grip tightened on Wills hand. He rolled the food tray away so he could sit directly in front of her. He could tell by the look on her face that she was trying her best to compose her thoughts into something that made sense.

"Will, he's already harmed me. That's why I'm here now." A tear rolled down Emma's cheek as her composure began to crumble once more, "What if he tries to hurt me again?" Her hand moved to her stomach protectively, "What if something happens to the baby?"

"Em, we aren't going to let that happen." Will said as he wiped away the tear. It broke his heart to see her cry, especially when he felt partially responsible. "They will have a cop with you at all times. The police are trained to deal with situations like this. It's going to be okay, sweetheart. We just need to put together our list so the police can find whoever is responsible for this. Officer Michaels will be there tomorrow to help us sort out what to do from here. It will all work out in the end though. I promise. "

Emma calmed a little bit at Wills touch. She leaned into him and clutched onto his chest as a few more tears came flooding down. Will held onto her securely as he whispered reassurances into her ear and kissed her head softly.

"I don't know if I can go back to the apartment Will." Emma confessed into his shirt. She looked up at him, the fear evident in her eyes.

"It's okay Em. I already talked to Shannon and she said we could stay with her for a little while until we find a place. We can stop by the apartment and grab a few things after you're discharged. Shannon is bleaching some sheets for us as we speak. She said her guest bedroom is all ours." Will couldn't help but place a small kiss on her forehead. He wanted nothing more than to be able to kiss away all of her fears.

Emma relaxed quite a bit with this news. The thought of a stalker was terrifying, but she trusted her husband. She knew he would do anything for her or the baby, she just hoped he didn't sacrifice himself in the process.

And although she didn't think sharing an apartment with Shannon would necessarily be ideal, she didn't think they really had another option. She just hoped she didn't drive Shannon to nuts with all of her crazy. She knew it was a lot for most people to deal with and she didn't want it coming in the way of her relationship with the woman like it had come in the way of so many relationships in the past. There was also the danger element. If there was someone stalking her, Shannon would be putting herself in danger by housing them. She knew she would have to have a talk with Shannon before they stayed with her to make sure she understood what she was offering. Though knowing Shannon, she wouldn't change the offer anyway.

"Shannon is such a good friend." Emma said, thankful at that very moment for the people in her life.

"She really is." Will confirmed, pleased that Emma seemed comfortable with this idea. He would have to find some way to repay his friend for her generosity.

"Okay," Will said as he pulled a notepad and pen from his bag of tricks, "We had better get started on that list."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Emma pulled her coat around herself a little bit tighter as the automatic doors of the hospital opened and a chilly draft rolled past her soft locks. She couldn't help but feel the slightest bit embarrassed being pushed through the large germ-infested building in a wheelchair but the charge nurse had insisted that it was hospital policy. As much as she despised being made a spectacle, she couldn't argue with the woman. She was just doing her job after all. Emma pushed the embarrassment aside and was pleased to see her husband pull up along the curb as she and the nurse had arrived outside. Will put the car in park and walked around it to help Emma with her bag. Always the gentleman. He put the strap over his shoulder and offered his hand to help her up. "Here Cinderella." His charming smile warmed her heart.

She reached for his hand and stood, happy to be out of the awkward embarrassment of the wheelchair. "Thank you, kind sir." She quipped back with a small grin. She turned around and thanked the nurse for her help and Will collected the discharge and aftercare papers the nurse had for them. He sent her a thank you as well as he opened the passenger-side door and helped Emma into the seat. Once she was settled he quickly walked around to the other side of the car and put her bag in the back, then finally took his seat behind the wheel. "Ready to go?" He asked her, looking for a glimpse of approval before they ventured off.

Emma tore her eyes from the window as she looked to Will, knowing that his question was a loaded one. She inhaled briefly as she looked once more at the bittersweet safety of the hospital.

"Yeah." She finally said, though her hesitancy was evident. With that, Will put the car in drive and the couple left the hospital.

The majority of the drive was silent as Will focused on the road ahead, clearly lost in thought. Emma stared out the window as the scenery passed by, though she too wasn't paying much attention to it. So much had changed in the course of a few days, and it was all she could do to control herself from exploding. It felt wrong driving home and not experiencing the same feeling of comfort she usually had when the car pulled onto the street that had become so routine. Her head betrayed her heart as she tried to seek solace in the familiarity of the buildings and trees that surrounded her but she failing miserably, knowing that the place they were returning to was not one she had been to before. It was somewhere new. Somewhere that held memories of trauma and fear, not ones of love and safety.

An element of anger began to build inside of her that almost seemed to catch her by surprise. She was upset that some stranger, her attacker, held that power over her. What right did he have to take that from her? Her home, one that she had worked so hard to build wonderful memories in, was gone forever and she couldn't help but feel resentful at the man responsible.

Will could see her fidgeting as they pulled into his usual parking spot in front of the stairs leading to their apartment. He let out a sigh as he pulled the keys from the ignition and turned to face his wife. She was still looking out the window, trying not to address the fact that anything was bothering her. Will stared at her for a moment before he broke the silence.

"Emma honey, talk to me. Tell me what you're thinking."

The pet name rolled off of his tongue effortlessly and she could hear the concern in his voice, but she didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to think about it or feel it anymore. But it wouldn't go away, and she knew Will was only trying to help. She always gave in to him.

She sat up a little straighter in her seat as she turned to face Will, finally making eye contact.

"I'm angry." The confession came out more smoothly than she thought her voice was capable of.

"I'm angry that this happened. I'm mad that whoever this person is invaded our space like that. I'm mad he hurt me and risked our baby's life. I'm mad that he stole from us, and I'm mad that _that_," She gestured up toward the apartment, "can never be our home again. It's not fair Will! Why does this have to happen to us?" Her cheeks were tinted red as the anger began to swell. "As soon as things are going well and we are really happy the universe always has to do something to screw it up!" Emma knew she was worked up but couldn't help her emotions once again spilling over. Though this time she had no more tears to spare. Instead she let out a long breath.

Will looked at her with eyes of pain, not really sure where to begin. He ran a hand through his hair out of habit. The gesture was mildly comforting to her.

"You're right. It's not fair. You shouldn't have been attacked. You shouldn't have someone stalking you. But Em, that's what happened and all we can do now is try to heal and move on. I know it may not seem like it right now but things will get better." He was trying his best to sound convincing, even thought he had his own doubts on the matter. It was becoming harder and harder for him to maintain his composure. He just hoped she could hear the sincerity in his voice.

Emma sighed yet again. "You're right Will. I'm sorry I've been so emotional. I just…I'm really scared." Emma's confession stabbed once more at the guilt that had slowly been building inside of Will. He couldn't help but feel responsible for what happened. Maybe if he had been a better husband, he would have noticed that someone had taken extra interest in his wife. Perhaps if he had paid more attention, the whole thing never would have happened. Maybe if he hadn't been working late at glee it would have been him being attacked and not Emma. His precious Emma. His wife. The mother of his unborn child. His best friend and the love of his life. And he couldn't even protect her. He had failed at his most important job and now she was injured. It was all starting to feel like too much as tears began to build. One slid down his cheek as he looked at her.

Confusion spread across her features as she reached for her husband's hand. This was obviously not the reaction she had been anticipating. He took her hand willingly, reveling in the comfort it provided.

"Will, what's wrong?" She asked, pleading for him to share what he was thinking.

"I'm so sorry Em." He choked out the words, "This is all my fault." The tears began to flow freely now as he silently scanned her face for any sign of regret in her decision to be with him.

"What?" She squeaked out, truly shocked at Wills statement.

Will looked down at their intertwined hands to avoid her gaze. "It's my fault this happened. If I had been a better husband you never would have been attacked and you wouldn't have someone stalking you. I couldn't protect my own family. I understand if you don't want to forgive me." She watched him as he timidly studied their hand, vulnerability etched into his every movement. Emma knew will had his insecurities but she never expected that he would feel responsible for something like this. She knew better than anyone how much Will loved her, and knew without a doubt in her mind that he always tried his best when it came to their relationship. She simply could not believe that thought of guilt for what happened had even crossed his mind.

"Will," She said, waiting for him to look up. He didn't. He held an element of shyness about him that she was unfamiliar with.

"Will," She said again, this time reaching her other hand over to gently move his face to meet her eyes. "This isn't your fault." She said, gesturing to her cast. "None of this is."

Will scanned her face once more, looking for signs of truth.

"But-"

"No Will, listen to me for a minute. The only person at fault here is the man who attacked me. There was no way for you to know that I had a stalker. I didn't even know I had one. Sometimes these things just happen." Wills tears began to cease as her words of comfort warmed his insecurities. "You are the best husband anyone could have wished for and I am thankful every day that you are willing to share yourself with me. And I know I can get through this because I have you. _ We _can get through this because we have each other." She placed a soft kiss to his hand. "Please don't blame yourself for something that was out of your control." Emma's reassurances flooded over him like a wave of confidence.

"You're right Em. We will get through this. Together." He stated as he leaned in and captured her lips in his. "Thank you Emma." His eyes were filled with nothing but love and gratuity.

"Anything for you Will. You've always been there for me. The least I could do is return the favor." She squeezed his hand as a small smile graced both of their lips.

Will was first to break eye contact as he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking to the apartment.

"I guess we should go in." Emma could tell he was trying to convince himself more than anything.

Her gaze followed his as she looked to the staircase leading to the now ominous apartment. "I suppose you're right."

They both climbed out of the car; Will retrieving Emma's discarded over-night bag and Emma walking around to her husband's side. They joined hands and headed for the stairs, willing to battle their demons; so long as they were together. Will fiddled with the keys for a brief moment before finally unlocking the door. Emma unconsciously held her breath as her husband pushed the door open and she squeezed his hand tightly.

As the couple walked through the threshold Emma couldn't help but frantically scan the area with her senses for signs of change. Anything at all out of the ordinary. She was thankful to see the area looked just as it usually did.

Will must have cleaned up for her when he stopped by the other day. The only differences were the small hole in the wall from where her head had made contact and the picture of a quiet park scene that usually hung on the same wall was missing. Emma guessed that it had likely fallen when her head hit the wall and smashed to the floor. She hadn't recalled the picture falling but at the time it was hard to focus on anything besides the shock she had felt and the splitting pain in her head.

Emma shook off the memory as Will guided her through the bedroom, not wanting her to linger for too long in the entryway. They packed up what they needed for the next few weeks quickly and efficiently and before Emma knew it they were back in the car. The apartment had been easier to process than she had earlier anticipated. Now they were on to their next adventure. She sincerely hoped that staying with a good friend would be easier than anticipated too. Though she knew that was probably just wishful thinking.

**So this isn't the most epic of chapters but it needed to be done. I love how much of a support Will is for Emma, but I also love seeing Emma be just as supportive for Will. The next chapter will have a bit more development and will hopefully be up soon so be on the lookout. If you have a chance, please leave a review. I would love to hear what you think worked/didn't work/needs changing/etc. Happy Valentine's day!**

**~Finleybaby**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Emma paced in front of the guest bedroom closet that she had been sharing with Will for the past week trying to decide what to wear. The late October weather had definitely picked up in Lima and a coat would certainly be a necessity if she planned to venture outside.

She bit her lip out of nervous habit. It always seemed to help the thinking process; something she had done since she was a child.

Her gaze settled on a purple, green, and white floral maternity dress with a matching soft green cardigan she had purchased just over a month ago as she knew she would be needing new clothing soon. After she pulled out a pair of Mary Jane's she grabbed the garments and placed them on the bed, ready to change out of her nightgown. A soft knock came from the guest bedroom door as Will poked his head in. "Knock, knock" A silly smile graced his cheeks as he saw that she was still clothed and he opened the door further to allow enough room to enter.

She returned the smile then shifted her gaze once more to her chosen outfit for the day. "Hey." She said softly as she bit her lip once more in thought.

"Hey." he returned, "Trying to decide on what to wear?" He watched her forehead crinkle as it usually did when she was trying to concentrate on a thought.

"Yeah. I can't seem to find anything that will match the purple cast but also fits." She let out a frustrated sigh as she placed one hand on her expanding stomach and used her other to rub her temple.

Finding an outfit for the day shouldn't have been a big deal but it was her first day to return to work since the attack and she was clearly apprehensive about the whole idea. Her nerves were on fire with the anticipation of what the day may bring.

"Em, you'll look beautiful in whatever you decide to wear. Don't worry so much about the small stuff." He said.

She smiled softly at his compliment but her eyes fell to the floor quickly. "The little things are all I can handle thinking about right now." Her confession was shaky and he wasted no time as he took the few steps that separated them and pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead softly. Her outfit was the last thing on her mind at this point as she stared into her husband's sparkling eyes and took solace in his loving embrace. At that moment she needed his closeness as much as she needed air.

So much had changed for the both of them in the last week and she wondered what he was thinking about all of it at this point too.

Emma had adjusted better than anticipated to living at Shannon's place, though that was largely due to Will and the constant police presence just outside of the apartment. She had discovered that her friend had gone to great lengths to have the apartment extra clean for their stay by hiring a cleaning service. Her heart swelled at knowing Shannon was willing to do that for her and she realized at that moment what a true friend Shannon was. She would have to find some way to thank her.

The only issues Emma had really encountered staying at Shannon's were a lack of dairy-free food and a string of nightmares that had affected her sleeping pattern since she left the hospital.

She realized nightmares weren't that uncommon after a traumatic event but she didn't anticipate waking up screaming most every night with a worried Will and Shannon rushing to her aid. It was bad enough that she was being an imposition on her friend by staying with her but now she couldn't help feeling guilty for waking her up at odd hours of the night for a silly dream. Not to mention the embarrassment of it all and having to apologize profusely through tears to the two people that cared for her most. She supposed Shannon was getting used to it though as she hadn't come running to their guest room the past two nights. Emma was honestly thankful for that.

Will was another story, however.

He had been nothing but a support for her since the whole ordeal happened and she couldn't help but feel guilty. He may not have been the one to get attacked but that didn't mean he wasn't dealing with the repercussions of it too. He was staying awake with worry as it was and the nightmares weren't helping. She just wanted it all to stop and for things to return to normal. What was normal these days anyway?

Wills concerned words tore her out of her thoughts. "I know you're anxious, but Emma you're not going to be able to control everything. Sometimes you have to leave things to chance and hope for the best. But Em, that's why you have me. No matter what we encounter we can face it together." She closed her eyes as he placed a soft kiss to her lips. He lingered there for a moment before pulling back to look at her.

"How do you always know just the right thing to say?" She asked as a rogue tear rolled down her cheek. A slight relief rolled with it and Will wiped it away as she sniffed.

"It's all of those romantic comedies you force me to watch." He laughs for a moment, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

She giggled as the tension she was feeling diminished. "Must be. Maybe you won't complain so much the next time we watch one now." Emma's playful nature was returning, slowly, but surely.

He loved seeing her smile and was happy he could ease her mind, if only for a moment.

"Okay, well I need to get ready." He reluctantly let go as he moved to the bathroom to brush his teeth. "My amazing wife distracted me with her beauty and now I'm running a little behind."

They smiled once more as they parted ways. "You mean your crazy wife distracted you with her anxiety." Emma corrected.

"Nope. I'm pretty sure I had it right the first time." He called from the doorway.

She couldn't help but smile at his comment as he disappeared into the bathroom. She sighed once more as she turned to her discarded clothing on the bed and began to get dressed. The school day would start soon and Emma didn't want to be late.

Will held the large glass door of McKinley High School open for Emma as she entered. He followed her in and their hands found each other instantly, offering support to each other as they faced the day. A simple task such as walking down the hall shouldn't be a difficult process, but Emma couldn't help feeling the eyes that bore into her. The students as well as the faculty had likely heard about her attack and they were not doing a very good job of covering up their curiosity. Many of them would look at her cast, then her bandaged forehead, and then back to her cast again. It was a little bit unsettling if she was being honest with herself. It's not that she didn't appreciate their concern; she just didn't enjoy being the center of attention like that. Unwanted sympathy was not her strong suit.

_Great,_ she thought, _I'm the talk of the school._

Will noticed her squeezing his hand just a little bit tighter and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "You're doing great love. We're almost to your office." Wills eyes darted from one staring person to another, daring them to step up and say something. Most just looked away uncomfortably.

Upon reaching her office, Emma looked through the glass windows and noticed baskets and bouquets of flowers and a stack of cards piled on her desk. A warm smile graced her cheeks at the gesture from students and staff and she let out a simple "Wow."

"It would seem to me that everyone in the school has missed you." He held open the door as he let her in. The aroma of roses and lilies mingled together creating a pleasant scent that filled her entire office.

"They must have." The smile that graced her cheeks wasn't leaving any time soon. Her eyes scanned the flowers that overwhelmed her desk and filing cabinet. "But where am I supposed to work?" She asked, noting the extremely limited desk space that was available.

"I'll send a few of the glee kids to move some of them to my office. That way you have some space to work with." He kissed her head as she nodded her approval to his plan.

"Em, if you need anything today, call me, okay? At any time. I don't want you to worry. Also, officer Sanders will be posted at the corner for the entire day so if you feel scared, you know where to find him too." He looked into her eyes and couldn't resist their sweetness. He kissed her sweetly on the lips as she leaned into him. He always managed to sweep her off of her feet at any unexpected moment.

"Thank you Will. For everything you've done for me. I couldn't get through this without you." She said, her breath on his neck.

"Em, I'd do anything for you. I love you more than you can imagine." He kissed her once more, lingering for a moment until they heard the warning bell ring.

"I love you too, Will. So much."

He pulled away and headed for the door reluctantly. "I hope you have a great morning and I'll see you at lunch."

She smiled as he left, "Okay."

As he finally made his way out of her office and around the corner, Emma was left with nothing but her thoughts and a few glances from students as they passed. She would just have to get used to the staring.

Lunch was over before she knew it and the day had passed relatively quickly for Emma, much to her surprise. Thankfully she hadn't had any panic attacks and the majority of the school had left her alone. After catching up on her paperwork and rescheduling her missed appointments from the past week she didn't have much to do except wait for Glee practice.

She had been attending the rehearsals since she and Will were married and it had now become tradition. She was there mostly for moral support but also to help out whenever they needed it with costumes and music choices. She had also helped direct the school musical for the past three years so she had acquired some experience from that as well.

Emma didn't mind going to the rehearsals because she loved to watch her husband teach; especially Glee club. He was always in his element there and she loved watching a different side of him light up that most never saw. Plus, he was really great with the kids.

She walked swiftly down the hallway with her purse and a few files in hand, headed for the music room. Her tension of being alone in the hallway eased a bit as she passed the police officer at the corner and she headed down the familiar path to the music room. Once she got there she could already hear music coming from the doorway. She quietly waited for the song to finish before entering, and once she did everyone looked up at the squeaking of the door. She froze for a moment as all eyes were on her (once again) and she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit uncomfortable at the attention.

"Hey guys" She said awkwardly, scooting through the doorway.

"Mrs. Schuester! You're back!" Nathan said enthusiastically as his favorite faculty member appeared in the classroom.

The tension that had filled the room in a matter of seconds seemed to dissipate a little bit at Nathans excitement, but there were still looks of sympathy being directed at her that she didn't really know what to do with. The glee club had of course heard what had happened and they were pleased to see with their own eyes that Mrs. Schuester was in fact alive and well.

"I'm sorry I'm late everyone. I lost track of time. But I'm here now." Emma looked to Will who grinned at her squeamish behavior. She shot daggers back at his teasing smile.

"It's okay Mrs. Schue, we are all just happy to have you back." Kyle said from the back of the group. A few nods of agreement were seen and Emma could feel the warmth of acceptance coming from the group.

She pulled up her usual chair by the piano and set her purse and files on top of the large instrument.

"Oh, and I just wanted to say thank you for the kind words and the flowers. They mean a lot to me." Emma smiled as she remembered the gestures from this morning.

"But please, just ignore me. We've got sectionals coming up and I know there's a lot to do. Just pretend I'm not here and carry on." Emma made a shooing gesture with her hands to emphasize her point. The glee club giggled as she tried to brush off her presence. They were pleased to see their guidance counselor returning to her rightful spot in the choir room.

Will stepped to the middle of the room, "Em-I mean Mrs. Schuester is right. We've got plenty to do today, including narrowing down that set list. Let's get back to work before we get to distracted." He clapped his hands together as a gesture to encourage their motivation. The club quickly assembled into formation for their next number and as the music began and their sweet voices filled the room once more, Emma couldn't help but look to Will as he studied their moves and listened for mistakes. He really was passionate about these kids and she couldn't help but wonder how he would be as a father.

Her hand subconsciously moved to her small bump. It filled her heart with a warm sensation that she could only describe as love butterflies to think about Will, the man she loved more than anything, holding their tiny baby and humming soft lullabies. It's wouldn't be long now until that daydream turned into a reality and Emma could hardly wait.

There was still an element of anxiety, however, because the police had yet to make any headway on her stalker case. Emma and Will had both made extensive lists of any and every person they came into contact with on a regular basis, yet the police were no closer to figuring out who was stalking her. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen if they couldn't find the man. Would the police continue to patrol her home and job? Would the stalker follow her if they moved? What did he want anyway? Surely the police wouldn't stick around forever…

Emmas head was swirling with questions when glee rehearsal had finally finished. She made a mental note to talk to her therapist about some of these things at her meeting tomorrow.

As the kids grabbed their bags and headed out the door they said their goodbyes and a few members even gave hugs to their favorite guidance counselor. She smiled and returned the gestures, happy to see the group again. Once everyone had she walked across the room and joined Will in picking up the sheet music the group had discarded onto their seats and the floor.

"Thanks Em." He said with a smile as he stuffed sheets of music into a manila file he was holding, straightening the corners as he did so.

"It's no problem." She said with a small smile, straightening the corners of her pile as well before handing it to him to put into his folder. He smiled gratefully at her, thankful for her help.

"How was your day?" He asked.

"Actually, it was better than I had anticipated." She thought for a moment, "Though I didn't run into Sue today, so tomorrow may be a different story all together." The couple laughed at the small joke, both knowing the truth behind it.

"Well good! I knew you'd be okay. Sometimes things seem like they will be more difficult than they actually turn out to be. I'm glad your day was a success." Will placed the file of music on the piano and picked up his work bag, heading to his office for his keys. He reappeared a moment later, keys in hand, and Emma too had grabbed her things, ready to leave.

"You know Em, I'm really proud of you." He said, as he put his arm around her waist and they walked towards the door, and down the hallway.

"You really think so?" She asked, looking up at him as she did so.

"You've handled an impossible situation with grace. Why wouldn't I be proud of you?" He confessed.

She stopped their walking and turned to face him. Before Will knew it, she had pulled him into a passionate, lingering kiss in the middle of the hallway. After they pulled away Will had to take a moment and catch his breath.

"Wow, that was…Whoa." Will stuttered. Emma blushed. "Where did that come from?" He asked quizzically, a grin on his face.

"I just love you, that's all." She said, and she moved back to his side. Will seemed satisfied with that answer. He put his arm around her waist once more as they headed out of the school.

**My apologies for this chapter taking so long. I had a bit of writers block. I know where I want this story to go, it's just a matter of getting there. =) I would appreciate any thoughts or comments you can spare. Anon or not. Thank you for reading everyone!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry this took so long. Life/writers block complicated things. Please R&R if you get a chance. Thanks!**

**Chapter 7**

Wills feet were throbbing. His arms were tired and his back was stiff, but those were minor details compared to his feet. Shopping for maternity clothes was taking far longer than anticipated but he was trying his best not to complain. He flopped into a chair by the dressing room as Emma went in with 10 more outfits to try on. With any luck, they would be the last ones.

He couldn't help but wonder why women needed so many different types of clothing, particularly if they were only going to be wearing them for a short period of time. He was happy to be joining his wife on this venture, particularly since his ex-wife never included him in all things baby, but it was hard to focus on that feeling over the pain in his feet. He looked down at his watch and realized that they had been shopping for nearly 6 hours. He couldn't believe Emma had made it this long.

"I should have worn tennis shoes…" Will mumbled to himself as he fingered the handle of one of the shopping bags.

"What?" Emma called from the small dressing room, "Did you say something Will?"

"Oh, no Em. I didn't." He brushed off quickly. "Hey, is there anywhere else you were wanting to go after this, or is this the last stop?" Will tried, but couldn't hide the hope from the inflection of his question. He wanted to go home and snuggle with Emma for the rest of the day.

"This is the last stop. My feet are getting tired." Emma looked at her reflection assessing the dress she was trying on, completely unaware of the irony of her last statement.

Will mouthed a silent "Yes!" and pumped his fist in the air. Relief for his feet would be soon.

"Okay, Em. Want to pick something up for dinner on the way back? I can call Shannon and see if she's eaten." He questioned.

The door to the dressing-room opened and Emma appeared with hangers of clothes in her hands. "Sounds good to me." She said with a soft smile. Will melted every time he saw it.

Emma sorted out the clothes she wanted to buy from the ones she didn't and exited the dressing room, ready to purchase her selections. Will picked up the other bags and was on his feet once again as the pair moved to check out. It wasn't until they were leaving the store and entering the main floor of the Lima mall that Emma got a chill. Something seemed…off but she couldn't quite place her finger on why.

The feeling of being watched was beginning to build and she couldn't help but glance around her for a moment, observing the other occupants of the mall.

Nothing looked out of the ordinary, but the feeling still remained. Will noticed her movement and turned around as well to attempt to figure out what she was looking at. When he saw nothing out of the ordinary he turned to Emma. "What's wrong?" He asked, slightly concerned at his wife's behavior.

"Oh nothing, it's just…" She scanned the crowded walkways once more, "I have this strange feeling." She said.

"What kind of feeling?" Will asked, closing the space between them swiftly and protectively.

"I don't know, that something is off. Like when you're missing something but can't figure out what."

Will scanned the crowd again as well, this time checking for any more dangerous threats. He didn't see anything and looked back to Emma. "Why don't we get you home." He said, putting his arm around her.

She wrapped her arm around Wills in return and leaned in to him a little bit more. "Yeah. Let's go home." She said as they headed to the car.

Will and Emma arrived about 30 minutes later to Shannon's place with a car full of clothes and some take out. Emma immediately went in and fell into the overstuffed chair in the living room putting her feet up on the ottoman as Will carried in the bags of clothing and the food, setting the take out on the table and bringing the clothes to the bedroom.

"Shannon, we're back." Will called out, alerting his friend to dinner. Shannon emerged moments later from the hallway and glanced over to Emma sprawled out on the chair and Will who was now sitting on the bench by the door taking off his painful shoes.

"Rough day of shopping?" She asked with a teasing smile.

Emma sighed as Will rubbed his sore feet. "You could say that." He laughed. "But we should have enough clothing now to last for the rest of the pregnancy so that's a good thing." He added.

"Gosh, I didn't realize how tired I was until I sat down." Emma said as she relaxed further into the soft chair.

"Well why don't we eat. Maybe that'll get your strength up!" Shannon said, heading for the table.

Will got up from the bench, happy to have his feet free of their painful restraints. He walked the few feet to the living room and reached out a hand to Emma. She grabbed his hand, accepting his offer of assistance, and he helped pull her to an upright position.

Emma giggled as the momentum of the movement nearly launched her into his chest. She snuggled close to him for a moment and Will couldn't help but look into her amber eyes. Her breath caught, the way it did every time he looked at her like that, and he leaned in for a kiss. She returned it with passion and love and all the things she couldn't express in words.

They stared at each other, absorbing the other ones features for a minute until they were interrupted by a cough coming from the dining table. They looked up, remembering that Shannon was sitting there watching the whole exchange. Emma blushed as Will smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry about that Shan." Will said as he grabbed Emmas hand and led her to the table.

"That's alright, I would've just let you keep on keepin on, but your food's getting cold." She said, throwing him a wink. It was Wills turn to blush at his friend as he pulled out the seat for his wife and joined her at the table.

They passed around the containers of food until everyone had theirs and began eating.

Shannon looked up at Emma after taking a mouth full of pasta, "Oh yeah! Em, Officer Michaels called while you were out. He wants you to call em' back when you get a chance. I told him I'd leave you the message." Shannon continued piling the creamy pasta into her mouth, even though she hadn't swallowed what was already in there.

"Oh really?" Emma asked, observing her friend as she too took a few bites of pasta. "Did he saw what it was regarding?"

"I think he said something about a SPO expiring? I could be wrong on that though." Shannon's brow furrowed as she continued to chew noisily, trying to remember the details of the conversation.

Emma looked to Will with concern. "Your SPO is expiring? It's barely been four weeks since you were attacked." Will pointed out.

Emma began biting her lip compulsively.

"What's SPO?" Shannon asked curiously.

"SPO stands for stalker protection order. It was automatically filed after Em was attacked. It basically means that the police will help protect her against a stalker, free of charge, for as long as she needs it." Will explained.

Shannon seemed to be connecting the dots. "Oh. So it would be bad if that expired."

"Yeah." Will filled in as he tightened and loosened his grip on his napkin over and over again, his own anxiety beginning to show.

Shannon looked nervously between the couple as they were processing this new bit of information. Dinner had been all but forgotten by this point, with the exception of Shannon's chewing.

"Wha- What should we do, Will? What if he comes back?" Emma asked, the lines in her face more pronounced than usual as fear and concern began to take over.

"Well let's not panic. We'll just call Officer Michaels and see what he has to say. It may be nothing. And if they have called off the SPO, we will just go to court and issue a new one. It's not a big deal. We'll get it taken care of." Will said, trying to bring some calmness to the room. He could see Emma battling her anxiety and he knew what would happen if it completely took over.

"You're right. I'll call him. It may be nothing." Emma said as she put her fork down. She got up and headed for the phone, taking it to the guest bedroom they had been staying in. Will excused himself from the table and followed close behind.

Emma sat on the bed, quickly dialing the number to the police station. After only two rings she heard a voice on the other end. "Uh yes, hi. This is Emma Schuester and I would like to speak with officer Michaels. Is he available?" She asked as she bounced her foot on the floor. "Thank you." She said, as she waited to be transferred.

Will sat down beside her taking her free hand in his. His thumb began stroking the soft skin of her forefinger as he watched her bite her lip once more. Soon enough he could hear the soft muffle of a voice coming from the receiver she held to her ear. "Hello Officer Michaels, this is Emma Schuester. My friend Shannon mentioned that you called so I wanted to return the phone call." She said, explaining herself.

Will could hear some more muffled talking through the phone. "Yes" Emma replied as she listened further.

"I see." She called into the phone. Another pause on her end.

Will tried to focus on a spot across the room. Anything to distract himself from the one-sided conversation going on beside him. He would just have to patient until she was done and the answers came.

"But what do I do if I-" She stopped. "And I can't-" Once more she stopped.

"Yes, I understand. Thank you for your help officer Michaels." She said. "Goodnight." And with the she clicked the phone off.

Will looked directly at her, trying to gage her reaction. She sat there numbly for a moment while her thoughts raced.

"Em?" Will asked, unable to take the waiting any longer.

"Officer Michaels says that they will continue to follow my case but that my SPO has expired." She said, trying to process her own words. She was staring at the ground by this point.

"What?" Will said in disbelief. "Why?" He asked, trying to make sense of his wife's words.

"He says they typically have a four week shelf life. If no contact has been made from the stalker then the SPO expires. Something about county funding or something. I guess their money is better spent elsewhere." She said as her grip on Wills hand tightened.

"Are you kidding me? It's their job to keep the people of Lima safe!" He said exasperated. "We'll just have to take it to court then." His statement was one of definity and not suggestion.

"He said we could take it to court, but the process takes about six weeks."

Her lip began to quiver as she finally looked to Will, "What happens if he comes back Will? What happens if he-if he" She broke out into a quiet sob as Will pulled her into his chest. She tightly clenched to his shirt as he drew comforting circles on her back.

"Em, it's going to be okay. I would never let anything happen to you or the baby. I'll always be here to protect you." He promised as a stray tear rolled down his cheek. "I love you baby. I love you so much." He whispered into her hair as she sniffed in between cries.

"I'm so tired of living in fear. This isn't fair." She confessed as her grip on him loosened a small amount.

"I know love. It's not fair. And you are the last person in the world that deserves it. But I'm not going to let what happened to you before, happen again. I can promise you that." Will said as Emmas cries lessened. "You can stay by me until we can figure out who's behind all of this, okay?"

Her crying had all but stopped, except for the few sniffles here and there. "Will, I can't be with you every second of the day. What about work?" She pointed out.

"We'll just have to talk to Figgins about that. We'll get something worked out though so don't worry." He placed a soft kiss on her head.

Emma trusted Will, but she still couldn't get rid of the uneasy feeling that it wasn't that simple; that it wasn't over. All she could do was brace herself for whatever the future held.


	8. Chapter 8

**Yeah…I have no excuses for not updating sooner. Sorry about that.**

**Chapter 8**

Living in fear was something that Emma Schuester had gotten used to. With OCD being a constant battle, it wasn't too unusual for her to become frightened perhaps more often than the average person, though, the fear of touching a doorknob after a sick teen or using the restroom and not washing your hands wasn't the same kind of fear she had become so accustomed to lately.

No, this fear was much different. It wasn't a feeling that could go away with a little bit of hand sanitizer or one compulsive ritual. It was the kind that invaded every thought, every nerve ending, every moment of every day; the fear that at any moment someone could be there to end it all. In the blink of an eye, everything could be gone.

Emma knew her thoughts were likely just a little bit dramatic, but she couldn't help it. After her first attack she couldn't help anticipating another. She felt lucky to be alive and well (and thankfully still pregnant) in the first place; she simply couldn't imagine it happening again.

Which is why a plan had been made; a plan that she and Will had come up with to make Emma's safety their first priority. It had been decided that Emma would be with either Will or Shannon at all times, with the exception of during class time. After much argument on Emma's part, Will had agreed that the school was populated enough to ensure her safety during school hours, though she would eat lunch with Will or Shannon and come to Glee practice after she was finished with work.

She knew it was for a good reason and she certainly didn't mind that her husband and best friend were willing to go to such lengths for her, but she would be lying if she said it wasn't beginning to get on her nerves. She felt like a child who needed a babysitter to function. And it was made worse by the pregnancy. She was pretty sure that Will was thinking she'd need help _walking_ any day now.

It had only been a month since the Stalker Protection Order was called off and already Emma was going stir crazy! She wasn't sure she could take much more if she was being honest with herself.

She gathered the paperwork from her desk and placed it in a folder, organizing it so that each piece of paper lined up with the one behind it. She grabbed her purse and her coat as well as the folder, and made her way down the hall to the music room. Emma noticed the classroom was empty as she arrived, likely because she was a few minutes early, so she placed the folder and her purse on the piano and searched for her keys. She was going to work on some paperwork in Will's office so that the kids could focus during Glee rehearsal a little bit better as they had easily won their sectionals and were now focusing on regionals.

She pulled her keys out of her purse and put the spare key to Will's office in the lock, turning it over and opening the door. The sweet smell of roses filled her senses as she flicked on the light, noticing a vase of flowers on his desk. She smiled at the delicate white petals as she put her things down on his desk and placed her nose in them to take a sniff. As she leaned over, she noticed a card was attached with purple ribbon to the middle of the vase.

She momentarily scanned her brain for some sort of special occasion she could be forgetting but when the date didn't stand out in her mind, her curiosity grew. What on earth could the flowers be for? And why were they in his office of all places? Perhaps he was waiting until the afternoon to give them. Emma realized she may be ruining a surprise her husband could be planning so she stepped away from the arrangement. She looked to the clock and noticed she only had a few minutes before Will would show up for Glee. That would be plenty of time to read the card, then put it back unnoticed. At this point she was desperate to figure out what the occasion was, and to be sure it wasn't something important she had forgotten.

She untied the small envelope from the ribbon and pulled out the card to read it, smiling as she wondered what sort of silly rhyme she would encounter from her husband this time. She always loved when he surprised her. As she pulled the card out she picked up the vase from the desk and smelled them once more as she began to read.

_My beautiful Emma,_

_ Your curls are ginger red_

_ Your skin as white as snow_

_ Your eyes light up my life_

_ I'll love you more than you'll ever know._

_One day we'll be together my sweet. And one day, you will realize just how much you love me too. Show me you're ready. Leave your husband. You wouldn't want anything to happen to him after all. Let's raise our baby together Emma. I can promise you happiness and love. Just leave him and we can be together. _

_ -xoxo_

_ J_

Emma's heart leapt in her chest as she dropped the roses, the vase shattering to pieces on the floor.

"Emma?" She could hear Wills voice from the entrance to the choir room followed by his footsteps rapidly approaching her. He was in the office only seconds later looking at the mess of glass, water, and flowers all over the floor and his petrified wife standing in the middle of it.

"Emma, what happened? Are you alright?" He asked as he scanned her over for cuts and scratches. He found one on her leg. "Em, you're bleeding." He said, as he tried to approach her, moving cautiously around the glass shards on the floor.

"Will…" Emma trailed off, handing him the card. "This was on your desk with the roses." She bit her lip to fight the growing panic as tears were already beginning to gather.

Will looked on, concern evident in his expression, as he reached for the note and read it to himself quickly. After digesting the note, he looked back to Emma, her face mirroring the panic he felt.

"I-I don't even know how he got in. The door was locked when I got here. We are the only people with keys besides Figgins!" Emma was trying her best to rationalize the situation.

A sickening feeling of dread was already building in Will's stomach as his mind raced. He had to stay focused though. "Emma, we need to call Officer Michaels and let him know right away what happened. You need to sit down though. There's a piece of glass in your leg and I need to remove it." He extended his arm to her, "Here, let me help you to the classroom."

"Okay." Emma said as she accepted Will's hand and stepped cautiously over the glass. Shock began to creep its way into her veins. Once they were away from the glass, Will picked Emma up and carried her to the piano bench, placing her gently with her leg extended.

He was thankful for the lose-fitting maternity dress she was wearing at this point as she would never be able to sit like this in one of her old skirts or dresses. He kneeled down to look over the wound, which had a shard of glass about two inches long sticking out of cut just below her knee.

As Will was making his assessment, Kyle and Ryan came into the room. "Whoa, what happened?" Ryan asked as he noticed a gash in his guidance counselor's leg.

"A vase fell," Will said blankly to the glee club members.

Laughter and footsteps could be heard approaching the room as Emily, Addison, and Mark were so enthralled with their conversation that they almost ran into the two seniors who had stopped in the doorway to see what happened.

"Kyle, I'm walking here!" Addison said with a bit of attitude to the boy before she looked over his shoulder and saw her teachers. "What's going on?" She asked loudly. This got the attention of the other two teens and the couple now had five pairs of eyes watching.

"Mrs. S broke a vase. She's got glass sticking out of her leg. It's so cool!" Ryan said, far more excited by the medical concern than he should have been, though nobody was surprised by his reaction. This was the boy who accidentally let loose his science fair entry of twenty African hissing cockroaches, which then required principal Figgins to spray the school for bugs, keeping students and faculty out for three days.

"It's not cool, it's gross!" Emily said, making a disgusted face.

"Shouldn't you take her to the nurse Mr. Schue?" Mark asked, his eleven years of boy scout training coming in handy.

Will was getting frustrated by this point. He was scared and worried which made it very difficult to concentrate on the problem at hand. "Guys, it's okay. I just need one of you to go get the nurse and ask her to bring a first aid kit. You can also let everyone know that Glee is cancelled for the day. I need to get Mrs. Schuester home."

The teens looked to each other, mentally questioning who would be the one to get the nurse. Addison rolled her eyes and pulled the group outside the door, just out of hearing range from her teachers. "Fine, I'll go get the nurse. But somebody better stay here with them. Mr. Schue looks freaked out and I don't even know what's wrong with Mrs. Schue."

The four glee clubbers nodded as they parted ways, leaving Mark and Ryan to stay with the adults.

Will was pacing circles on the floor while on the phone with Officer Michaels as Mark and Ryan were attempting to distract Emma from her leg. They had been around her long enough to know that although she had improved with messes, blood was not something that she handled well. Ironically, it didn't seem to be bothering her in the slightest. More than anything she seemed to be staring off into space and thinking.

Minutes later the nurse rounded the corner with Addison and Emily in tow, and Will quickly got off of the phone with Officer Michaels as she entered.

Nurse Hadley was relatively new to the school, but she was a very empathetic woman who seemed to know what she was doing. She quickly kneeled down next to the piano bench and assessed the wound herself. "Mrs. Schuester, what happened?"

"I-I dropped a vase. The glass shattered on the tile." Emma said, her focus finally on the ailment at hand. It wasn't until she looked at the wound that she noticed how painful it was.

"What do you think, Mrs. Hadley? Does she need stiches, or would a butterfly Band-Aid be enough?" Will asked as he joined the nurse at his wife's side.

"Well the laceration is quite long, but it doesn't appear to be very deep. I think she will be okay with a little bit of Neosporin and a few butterfly bandages." Nurse Hadley pulled the necessary supplies out of her bag removed the glass from Emma's leg with some tweezers. After cleaning and bandaging the wound, the nurse instructed the couple to keep it clean and dry for at least the next few days until it began to heal. The nurse was thanked for her help as she went on her way.

"Guys, could you help me get Emma to the car please? I don't want her walking on her leg." Will asked the two boys who looked eager to do something besides sit and watch.

"Sure!" Mark said, always happy to help.

"Will, I can walk on my own. It's just a cut." Emma said, as she turned her body to an easier position and stood. Will was at her side in a heartbeat helping her up.

"Here you go." He said, making sure she was steady before letting go.

"Will, really I'm fine. Let's just go home." Emma said, still trying to suppress her anxiety.

"Alright," Will agreed, turning to his two students, "Thanks for sticking around, guys. I appreciate the help. I'll see you in class tomorrow." Will said.

"No problem, Mr. Schue," both boys said as they gathered their things and headed for the door.

"I hope your cut feels better soon Mrs. S. And thanks for letting me watch!" Ryan said with a lopsided grin as he was leaving the choir room.

"Thank you, Ryan," Emma called back to him with a half-smile.

Will quickly gathered his and Emma's things, as well as the letter from the vase, and walked Emma to the car.

By the time the couple arrived back at Shannon's, Officer Michaels was there.

They politely said their hellos and Will let him in, directing the man to the living room.

They sat down, making themselves comfortable for what would likely be an uncomfortable conversation. Will had already informed Officer Michaels of the day's events on the phone, but it wasn't until the officer could sit down with them that he could take a statement. Will gave the letter to Officer Michaels who put it into an evidence bag, sealing it tightly.

"So, what happens now? " Will asked as he reached for Emma's hand. "Is the SPO re-issued? And can the police use that to figure out who's doing all of this?"

Emma looked up, anxiously awaiting the officer's answers.

"I'm afraid we can't re-issue the SPO as no threat was made on Emma's life. Typically in a situation like this we would recommend filing for a restraining order, but legally we can't do that if we don't know yet who the stalker is. I can take the letter back to the station and have the guys run it through the database to see if anything matches, but that's a bit of a long shot honestly."

Will let out a frustrated sigh. It seemed like the police, who were supposed to be there to protect, weren't doing much of anything to help.

"I know this is frustrating and I wish there was more we could do to help." Officer Michaels said, sympathetically." My advice to you would be to be extra vigilant and aware of your surroundings. Try not to take any risks with strangers or friends and we can go over your lists again. Also Will, this goes for you too. He may be planning to harm you and you need to be aware that you could be being stalked as well. Just try your best to have someone else with you at all times. Stalkers don't generally approach you if you are with somebody. I wish there was more I could do." Officer Michaels ran a hand through his hair.

"Thanks for your information. We can stop by the station tomorrow." Will said.

Both men stood and Will escorted the police officer to the door, thanking him once again for his time. He shut and locked the door, then returned to the couch where his wife sat staring off into space.

"Emma," Will said as he studied her face. She didn't seem to hear him as she continued to stare across the room. "Em, are you okay?" Will asked.

Emma finally snapped out of her haze and turned her attention to her husband.

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm sorry Will. I'm just-" She sighed. "I don't know anymore."

Wills heart melted with her somber expression. He couldn't help but take her into his arms and hold on tight for what seemed like hours, but was really only minutes.

"That's it," Will said as he pulled back, looking her in the eye. "We're going on a vacation." His statement was firm and definitive. "Tomorrow."

Normally Emma would have argued the idea as they both had school the next day, but she just didn't have it in her to stay any longer. She wanted to get away. She needed to be somewhere else where she didn't have to look over her shoulder and worry about some stranger attacking her and sending love letters. Yes, a vacation would be just what they needed. "Okay. Tomorrow sounds good." She returned, leaning back into him. He kissed the top of her head lovingly as his arms draped around her. They stayed like that for the next hour until Shannon arrived home and they explained the day's events to her.

Tomorrow would be a good day for them. Getting away would be the perfect thing for them right now. All she had to do was pack, and pick a destination.


	9. Chapter 9

**Authors note: Just a heads up, this chapter has smut in it and the rating for the fic has now officially been changed to M. Hope you enjoy. **

**Chapter 9**

Six hours and forty two minutes; that's how long they had been driving, Emma noted as she watched the clock; the trees passing by quickly on the highway. They would be arriving at their hotel in only fourteen more minutes if Will's GPS was correct. It was beginning to feel like the longest fourteen minutes of her life if she was being perfectly honest with herself. She began tapping a slow rhythm on her knee, trying to do anything she could to occupy her time as she stared at the passing road in front of her. The need to get out of the car for fresh air was becoming more and more urgent. Plus, she needed to go to the bathroom soon and she didn't want to have to bring her gloves and cleaning products into another dirty gas station bathroom.

Emma wasn't one for thinking much of what people thought of her, but she would be lying if she said the stares didn't make her feel insecure. It didn't matter now though. They were only twelve minutes away, and she would be able to decontaminate the bathroom in the comfort of her hotel room. She began following the lines of the telephone wires hanging high on their poles with her eyes as they entered the city and she continued to let her mind wander.

This trip was certainly a needed one though. After the attack and the subsequent weeks to follow, she couldn't help but wonder how she'd made it this long without completely cracking. She was beginning to think the whole ordeal was over and done with when she got her cast removed in exchange for a new brace the week prior, but then the flowers arrived and it sent her into a tailspin. Emma sighed as she once again looked at the clock.

Only nine minutes left now. She couldn't help but wonder what was next for her. Looking over her shoulder was becoming very tiring and she was worried what affect her anxiety was having on the baby. She placed her hand over her growing child protectively as she tried to push those feelings of worry aside.

The trees and grass that had previously graced the side of the highway were now turning into houses and businesses and Emma's anticipation peaked just the slightest bit at her new surroundings. The town of Niagara Falls, New York was cute and charming, reminding her of her home in Lima, and Emma decided it would be the perfect place to relax with her husband for a few days until they could figure out what to do next.

Next… What would they do next? Before leaving for their trip they had both stopped by the station and went over their lists of possible people once more with the officers but yet again it didn't seem to bring them any closer to finding a lead. It was all so frustrating and the police were doing nothing to help. The options were basically to get attacked again and the police re-issue the SPO, or hope the stalker goes away on his own. The latter didn't seem likely, and she was doing everything in her power to avoid thinking about the former. She began drawing lazy circles on her stomach, hoping it would help calm her nerves, which in turn initiated a small kick to her hand. Emma smiled softly at her child, who was becoming more active by the day.

She wondered what the baby would look like. If it would be a boy or a girl, soft curls like Will's or straight with gentle waves like hers, brown hair or red…It brought a smile to her face thinking about the not too distant future where she and Will would be able to complete their family with this wonderful child they had both dreamed of for so long. She was also beginning to second guess her decision of waiting until the birth to discover the gender. On one hand she loved the idea of it being a surprise, but on the other hand she wanted to be able to prepare for the baby one way or another. She sighed softly as her mind wandered further.

Three minutes. Almost there.

Will looked over to Emma as she stared out of the window. He slowly reached for her hand, taking it in his. She looked over to him and smiled softly as she squeezed his hand lightly. He returned the smile as well as the squeeze. Without sharing any words, Will offered her so much comfort in a single gesture than all of the calming exercises and medications she had tried in the past. Lucky was an understatement when referring to her husband.

"We're here." Will said, as they pulled into the hotel parking lot.

Emma looked the hotel over with a satisfied glance. She was truly thankful to be there. "Oh gosh, Will, the hotel looks so nice! I can hardly believe they had a last minute booking. Are you sure we can afford this though? It looks awfully nice…" She had to question it. The building seemed much more elegant than the hotel they stayed in for last year's regionals in Fresno, and that hotel stay cost was enough to eat up half a paycheck.

"The manager said they had a last minute cancellation when I called last night. We were lucky to get in. Don't worry though, the room came with a deal. Their cancellation stiffed them the reservation fee. He was just happy to have someone to fill the room!" He chuckled, remembering his phone conversation with the man he imagined to be quite short and thin, with a rather thick Italian accent. "I'm glad you like it, love." He squeezed her hand once more. "Why don't we go check in and get comfortable before dinner?"

"I think I'm just going to wait in the car while you check in if that's okay. I'm really tired, and my feet are a little swollen." Emma said, gesturing to her feet.

"Emma, I don't know if that's such a good idea…" Will pointed out, unsure if he should leave her alone or not.

"Will, I will be fine. We are hundreds of miles away from home, and we're in the middle of nowhere. I can stay by myself in the car for three minutes while you check us in. I promise I won't break." She held up three fingers as if to offer a Girl Scout promise.

He couldn't help but look at her for a moment with an uneasy feeling, but he knew she was right. They were hundreds of miles away from Lima. They came here so she could take a break from looking over her shoulder and so he could take a break from watching her like a hawk twenty-four/seven.

With a defeated sigh, Will climbed out of the car, stretching for a moment once he was standing. "Okay. I'll only be gone for a minute. Oh, and don't forget to lock the doors," He reminded as he closed the door and shot her a lopsided smile.

"Don't worry honey, I will." Emma called through the car door as she locked them automatically.

It only took a few minutes for Will to check in and before Emma knew it they were in their hotel room. Emma went straight to cleaning the bathroom as Will replaced the sheets on the hotel bed with clean ones he had brought from home. It didn't take long for both of them to finish their chores and change out of their travel clothes and into something more comfortable so now they were resting on the bed for a few minutes before it was time to decide on dinner.

"So what should we do in Niagara Falls, my lovely?" Will asked as he thumbed through a pamphlet of the cities attractions he had grabbed from the hotel lobby. He put his arm around Emma and she leaned into him immediately.

"I'm not sure; I don't really know what's available." She said as she closed her eyes, lost in her husband's embrace.

"Well, it appears we have several choices. There are several state parks that look promising; there's also an art museum that looks pretty interesting." He scanned the page for things that would suit the couple's interests. "We could always go wine tasting..." His eyebrow peaked as he tried to remain serious. He snaked his hand onto Emma's swollen middle to emphasize his joke.

"Good plan." Emma teased back with a giggle, "Get the baby liquored up before the big day." She rolled her eyes, attempting to hide her smile.

"Well I know_ I_ would enjoy it." Will mocked with a grin.

"You're going by yourself then. Your unborn child and I will just stay here at the hotel and relax by ourselves." She quipped as she mocked offense.

"Aww, I couldn't do that…to the baby." Will added the last sentence at the last moment and a giggle escaped his lips even though he was trying to fake seriousness. This earned him a pillow to the head from Emma.

"Hey, what was that for?" Will said as he rubbed his head in mock pain from her pillow assault.

"You wouldn't know what to do at a wine tasting without me," She said, snuggling back into her original position on Will's chest, but not before sticking her tongue out at him first.

"Well I just don't know what to do then. I guess we will just have to stay in the hotel room for the entire trip." He said with a fake sadness.

"Will, we're in Niagara Falls. Why don't we go see the falls?" She asked, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Nah, I've heard it's not very pretty there." he said as he continued to thumb through the pamphlet with a look of indifference on his face.

"William Schuester, I know better than that. You were talking about seeing the falls all the way from the house to the Ohio border. We're going!" She mocked sternness as she turned to face him.

He couldn't help but smile at her display. "Okay…If you say so."

"Good. Then it's settled." Emma said as she once again reclaimed her place on his chest. Will kissed the top of her head as she did so.

"You know, you're awfully cute when you're mad." He said, followed shortly by a grunt as another pillow went flying into his face.

XXXXXXX

"I don't know about this Will…" Emma said as she hesitated to get onto the ferry boat.

"Em, it's just water. And besides, you've got a rain poncho on. You'll be completely dry by the time we dock." Will pointed out, trying to sooth his wife's anxiety.

"Will, it's not _clean _water, it's filthy disgusting lake water. Who knows what animals eat and _do _in there..." She shuddered as she finished that thought in her head.

"Em, if you can't handle a little water, what will you do when the baby comes and needs a new diaper?"

"Will that's different. I'll do anything for the baby. This, however, I can opt out of." Emma said, backing away from the boat dock slowly.

"Okay Em, if you really don't want to go see the falls, we don't have to. We can go check out one of the museums or something." Will said, understanding and sympathetic of his wife's limitations.

Emma felt extremely guilty at his gesture though because not only was her OCD holding her back from something she really did want to enjoy, but it was holding back her extremely caring and understanding husband as well. He was trying to cover his disappointment and had she not been married to him she would have been fooled, but she knew better. He had been talking for hours in the car about visiting the falls. She couldn't turn back now; who knew if she would ever get the chance to come back?

She took a deep breath and worked up her courage.

"No, Will, it's okay. We can go see the falls. I will be alright." She said, stepping back onto the boat dock and making her way toward the large sea craft. He followed close behind.

"What?" Will said with a hint of shock as they weaved in and out of people. "Em, we don't have to go. I'm completely okay with touring the rest of the town, and we can see the falls from the hiking trails at the top. Really, I don't mind." He said, not wanting to push her out of her comfort zone, particularly in her condition.

"You're sweet Will, but don't worry. I can do it. It's just a mind over matter thing." By this point they had reached the line for the ticket taker at the boat entrance, so they stopped to wait their turn.

"Em, are you sure it's a good idea to stress you out right now?" He said, placing a hand on her stomach as she faced him.

She placed a hand over his and looked him in the eyes. "You are the most wonderful husband a girl could ask for. Thank you for being so understanding. I will be okay though, Will. Really." He smiled at her, using his free hand to softly brush the side of her cheek fondly. "Besides, I will have you by my side. What's the worst that can happen? As you said, it's just a little water." She grinned at him with a new found confidence, and he beamed with pride at her ever-changing progress.

"Okay, love. You've convinced me. But if you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable we are going into the lounge room." He pointed out, drawing her attention to the small enclosed room at the center of the ferry boat.

She looked to the boat and noticed the room, her nerves actually settling a small amount at the realization that she would have the option to remain dry if she should so choose. "Alright, it's a deal." She leaned up to kiss him to emphasize her point. Of course, he returned the kiss as he pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss a little bit more. It wasn't until someone behind them coughed loudly that they realized the line had moved and there were people waiting behind them. They quickly apologized to the couple behind them and scurried to the ticket taker, handing over their stubs and entering the boat.

Once in full poncho and rain gear, the couple found a bench at the front of the ferry boat to sit on and enjoy each other's company as the boat left the dock, heading for the falls. Emma leaned into Will as he wrapped his arm around her, settling his hand on his new favorite spot; her baby bump. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and he leaned his head against hers as well. They were lost in each other as other people were walking around the deck snapping pictures and listening to the captain on the loud-speaker rattle off history facts and random bits of information regarding the falls as well as the boat. Emma didn't pay any attention to him though because all of her focus was on the soft tenor humming coming from her husband. They were content to stay this way for hours but within fifteen minutes they were approaching the falls, and they both knew they wanted to get pictures in front of this natural wonder.

Emma reluctantly sat up as Will groaned slightly at her movement. "Come on pokey puppy, we're almost to the falls. We should get up now or we won't be able to find a spot near the railing." Emma pointed out, tugging slightly on his arm for emphasis.

"Okay, okay." Will said, reluctant to get up, but he did as he was told anyway and joined his wife in finding a spot near the edge of the boat.

Dressed in full rain gear, Will pulled out the disposable waterproof camera he had purchased at the gift shop before they boarded, snapping a few pictures of the falls. Emma was watching on in wonderment at the sight before her, lost in her own thoughts as the boat approached the base of the falls. Will couldn't help but snap a picture of her, wanting to treasure this radiant look of contentment in her face. The snap of the camera and the realization that her picture had just been taken was enough to snap Emma out of her thoughts. She turned to Will with a questioning gaze.

"Did you just take a picture of me?" She asked, mocking an accusing tone.

"Maybe…" Will said, noncommittally.

"If I have to endure the tortures of the camera then so do you mister." She said, pulling him next to her and turning her back to the falls. She took the camera from Will and held it up so that she and Will, as well as the falls, were in the frame. "Say cheese." She said as she placed her finger over the shutter button.

"Soy-based dairy product!" Will chimed as Emma pushed the button down.

She immediately turned to him with a look of shock on her face. "What did you say?" Emma asked, the fake accusatory tone returning.

"You told me to say cheese but I figured I would find something more appropriate since I'm with my lovely wife." He grinned, a look of pride for his cleverness overtaking his face.

"You're lucky we're in public and I don't have a pillow, mister." Emma said, pointing a finger at him.

"Oh, but this is why you married me. For my wonderful sense of humor." He said, his teeth showing with his grin this time.

Emma softened at his adorable face. "Yes, that among many reasons." She said, cupping his face and leaning up once more to kiss him. He returned the kiss, and as soon as they parted he leaned in for another one.

"If I had known it was that easy to get you to kiss me I would have made soy-based dairy product jokes much earlier!" He let out a soft chuckle, and she couldn't help but giggle at his "cheesy" remark.

"You're lucky you're adorable." She said, smiling from ear to ear also.

A man had noticed the couple laughing with each other and approached them, asking if they would like for him to take a picture of them. His voice was raspy from what sounded like a cold, and Will had to lean in close to hear him. Emma would surely have to decontaminate the camera after returning to the hotel room. He too was dressed in a plastic rain poncho but like most of the other people on board he wore a ball cap and a large pair of sunglasses. It seemed to repel much more water, but it was nearly impossible to see the man's face. Will questioned his capabilities of taking a good picture wearing all of that rain gear, but he figured it was worth a try. He had plenty of film left in the camera anyway. Emma looked to Will and he looked back to Emma nodding.  
>"Sure, we'd love for you to take our picture." Will said, handing the man the camera. "Thanks." He said as he scooted against the railing with Emma, posing in several sweet pictures of the two of them.<p>

"It's no problem at all, really." The man said, handing the camera back to Will. "You've got a beautiful wife and she's simply glowing." He gestured to her middle. "I figured she was worth photographing."

Emma blushed at his comment.

"I would have to agree with you there, sir. Thanks again." Will said with a smile as he shook the man's hand.

"Of course." The man said as he returned to a bench across the deck.

Will looked to Emma. "See? I'm not the only one who thinks you're beautiful."

"Will I'm wearing a rain poncho, and I look like a cow. I'm sure he was just being courteous." Emma said, not feeling as confident with her appearance since the pregnancy.

"No Emma, he's right. You really are simply glowing." He pulled her close to him and swept the hair from her forehead. "And I'm so proud to be your husband. I love you my sweet." He leaned down and kissed her with passion and a bit of fire.

"I love you too, Will." Emma said as she tried to choke back the tears. She cleared her throat to get rid of the emotions before anyone on the boat could notice as she cursed her hormones.

"And look, you haven't even seemed to notice you are soaking wet." Will pointed out her wet rain poncho and she looked down, noticing the saturation as well. He was right though, she hadn't noticed. When she was with him she didn't really even seem to care about germs or dirty water the way she usually did.

"You're right. I guess I was so distracted that I didn't realize." She said, a small amount of pride building for another task conquered. Will smiled and put his arm around her shoulders as she leaned into her favorite spot against his chest, looking out to the falls. They were so calming and peaceful.

Will was too busy staring at the most beautiful thing he had ever seen though. His wife. He didn't even care about the falls at this point, he just simply wanted to watch her soak it all up, free of worry and anxiety where she was really able to relax and let go. He kissed her head softly as he snapped another picture with the camera, as well as in his memory, to have forever.

XXXXXXXXX

Once the couple had returned to their room they both decided a shower would be necessary. Emma observed the size of the shower and was quite pleased, noting yet another wonderful thing about a luxury hotel.

"Have you seen the size of this shower Will?" She called from the bathroom, "There's enough room for at least two people in here!"

Will rounded the corner with two towels, startling her as she hadn't realized he was so close. The yelling was obviously unnecessary, and she blushed slightly from embarrassment.

"That sounds like a wonderful suggestion." He said seductively as he placed the towels on the towel rack and retrieved the body wash from the bathroom counter, brushing by her body as he did so. Her senses electrified.

"I like the way you think." Emma said with a bit of heat as she leaned over and turned on the water, clearly seeing where this was headed. It didn't take more than a minute for the water to heat up and before she knew it Will's lips were on hers. She sucked passionately on his lips as his tongue swirled around, asking for entrance. She parted her lips ever so slightly, signaling the go-ahead for him to enter. He complied, exploring every area of her mouth that he could reach. The heat between them was building as quickly as the steam in the small bathroom.

His hands moved quickly from her back to the zipper on her dress and with one swift movement he unzipped it, pulling the straps off of her arms and letting it fall to the floor. A chill ran up Emma's spine at the sudden exposure to the air but he quickly pulled her into another kiss, heating up her body instantly.

She moved to his shirt, pulling the bottom up and over his head, exposing his toned chest and abs. She was thankful at that point that it was a warmer than usual day outside, and he had removed his coat when they returned to the hotel room. Next on the list were the pants. Once the shirt was discarded with her dress on the floor she moved down to unclasp his belt buckle, expertly removing it in seconds. His hands roamed her back as she moved on to his jean button and zipper. His fingers on her body sent a tingling sensation through her spine causing her to quicken her pace as she finally got the hindrances undone and his pants fell to his ankles. He stepped out of them and scooted the garments to the side, crashing his lips back onto hers.

The kissing was becoming more and more heated and the urgency was beginning to build so Will moved to unclasp her bra as he began placing kisses on her neck. She let out a soft moan as her undergarment fell to the floor, exposing her chest to him. He took a moment to take in the sight of her. He had always loved her breasts, even though she wasn't the most confident about them. They were one of his favorite things about her body, and he was even more pleased to know that he was the only man she had ever shared them with. Of course, they were larger than usual with pregnancy, but he seemed to love them any way they came.

Emma let out a sigh and Will then realized he was caught staring. He immediately took one nipple into his mouth as his other hand began making swirling movements on the other one. Emma immediately let out a soft moan of satisfaction as he sucked and nipped gently on her. After a minute he switched his movements to the other side and continued his tongue assault. "Will…" Emma moaned, hoping to emphasize her desire.

Will picked up on it immediately and he began kissing up her chest bone and onto her neck, then finally resting on her lips once more.  
>"I take it you're ready for a shower?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye.<p>

"So ready." She mumbled half coherently, lost in the feeling of passion.

Will helped remove her underwear before removing his own, and they both stepped into the steaming shower. "It feels so nice…" Emma trailed off as Will's hands ran all over her back. The water was cascading over both of them, allowing their hands to glide more freely against their now slick skin.

"Just wait." Will said huskily. The passionate kissing began again, and they both pulled closer to each other. Emma noticed Will's need rubbing against her and she couldn't resist the heat that was beginning to swirl in her lower abdomen. Will began kissing her neck once more, moving down to her collarbone and then to her breast bone. Emma moaned once more, letting him know the pleasure he was responsible for.

His kisses moved to her swollen stomach and he placed his hands on her belly, kissing her bellybutton several times in love. She looked down and ran a hand through his wet hair admiring how carefully he treated that place on her body. It wasn't until he began moving his kisses lower that she let out an audible gasp. Will knew he was getting closer as her legs began parting on their own accord. He began to kiss lower but just as he was about to reach her sweet spot he stood up.

Emma opened her eyes, not even realizing she had closed them, and looked into her husband's hazel orbs.

"I love you so much, Emma." He said, lost in her big brown eyes.

"I love you so much, too, Will." She said, wanting to explode from the sexual excitement and melt from the sheer love all at the same time. He kissed her once more as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her right leg around his waist. This movement gave him the access they both had been searching for and he looked into her eyes as he thrust into her. She closed her eyes out of instinct, but opened them immediately after so she too could share this moment with her husband. He kissed her softly, sucking just a little bit on her bottom lip as he began to move in her. Her head rolled back for a moment in pleasure but she reminded herself to stay composed enough to share this with him. He was making it so difficult though with his slow movements. Her eyes met his once more as she began to turn her hips into him, the heat and speed picking up simultaneously.

"Will…"She moaned, her fingers running through his curls.

Hearing her desire urged him to move faster and he complied, supporting her weight against his body by holding onto her lower back. Their breathing began to pick up and Emma was beginning to wonder how much longer she could hold on. Looking into Will's eyes while they made love was perhaps the most vulnerable thing she had ever done with a person. It was such a deep and intimate connection, and she was so glad she had only ever shared this part of herself with him. The friction between them was building to an electrifying heat and Emma moved her hip over a small amount to the right to allow better access around her growing stomach. It was just the right spot and soon she could feel herself twisting in ecstasy at Will's movements, causing her to bite her lip to prevent herself from yelling out his name to the entire hotel.

He watched her as she was sent over the edge and felt her walls clamping around him, causing his pleasure to increase ten-fold, and it was just enough to push him to his climax. A low moan escaped his lips while he thrust a few more times into her as they both rode out the shared orgasm. They stayed connected for a minute, just taking in each other's afterglow before Will finally pulled out. Their breathing began to slow back down to normal as they held each other.

"You are so beautiful, Emma." He said as he brushed her hair from her face. Her cheeks were red from their events as well as the shower.

"I love you so much, Will." She said, her arms still wrapped around him not quite ready to let go yet.

"I love you too, Em. More than I could ever express." He said, not wanting the moment to end either.

He reached for the shampoo and began lathering it into her hair, her brown eyes on him the entire time. Once he was done washing her she returned the favor, gently soaping and rinsing his body, taking every care to be as soothing as possible. She loved sharing herself with him, and she loved that he was willing to do the same with her.

It was the perfect moment, and she couldn't imagine wanting to share it with anyone else.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Emma was wrapped in several blankets as she sat on the bed wearing her fleece pajamas reading a book. It was close to nine o'clock that evening and she was doing whatever she could to stay warm. The shower had run cold after they had been in there for so long, and she couldn't seem to get rid of her shivers after that. Will finally dug her fuzzy socks out of the suitcase and handed them to her before he slipped on his coat and shoes.

Emma looked up from her book as she noticed his attire. "Are you going somewhere?" She asked with confusion.

"I'm just going to get some ice from the ice machine. I'll be right back." He said, grabbing the ice bucket from the table by the door.

"Will, it's early December and it's night time. It's cold outside, even for a warmer day like today. What on earth do you need ice for?" She questioned.

"Em, the ice in the ice chest isn't going to last until morning, and if I don't grab ice now all of our cold food items will spoil. I'll only be gone for a moment." He said, trying his best to reassure her.

She had to remind herself that they were no longer in Lima and that a short trip around the other side of the building to get some ice was a reasonable thing. "Okay, Will, just hurry back. I'm cold, and you're my favorite heating blanket." She said with a grin, putting her book down and uncovering her feet so that she could put her fuzzy socks on.

"Okay, Em. I'll try to hurry. Be back in five." He said as he grabbed the hotel key and headed out of the hotel room in search of ice. Emma put her socks on and quickly tucked her feet back under the covers, continuing her reading until her husband returned.

Will rounded the last corner in what seemed like a maze of hallways that pointed him in the direction of the ice. He sighed in relief once he found the machine and put the bucket under the opening as he pushed the button. The bucket began filling with ice. Once it was full he took his hand off of the button, allowing the flow of ice, as well as the loud noise from the machine, to stop. He grabbed the bucket and turned to leave when he almost ran into something. He took a step back and noticed it was a man. In fact, it was the man from the boat that had offered to take his and Emma's picture. Will almost didn't recognize him without the rain gear.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." Will apologized, then smiling at the recognized company. "Strange running into you here of all places!" Will chuckled at the irony of the situation. When the man didn't respond to his joke, Will got an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He stepped to the side so the man could get through. "Well I had better go. It's cold, and my wife is expecting me back any minute. I've already taken longer than I should have." He said, trying to step through the doorway that the man was mostly blocking.

The man, who was previously standing completely unmoving finally snapped out of his daze and pushed Will back into the room, causing the ice to spill over him and the floor. Will caught himself as he crashed into the wall of the small room.

"Wha-" Will said, shocked. He shook off the pain as he looked up, "Hey, man, I don't want any trouble." Will said, no longer caring about the ice bucket that was discarded on the floor. He tried once again to get past the man and again the man pushed him, this time causing him to slip on the slick ice cubes that now lined the floor. He slid backwards and landed on the ground with a thud. That's when Will looked up and noticed the man had something in his hand. At first he wasn't sure what it was, but as the man stepped into the room he saw the gleam of light hitting metal. It was a knife.

"Oh, please don't…I've got a wife and a baby on the way and a family at home…"Will began pleading as the man came closer; Will backing as far into the corner as he possibly could.

"She's not your wife anymore, she's mine." The man said, and with one swift move the man lunged at Will. He kicked his foot out causing the man to trip on the ice, and he too fell to the floor with a thud. Will tried to scramble for the door, but the man composed himself quickly and grabbed for Will's ankle. It was pretty easy for him to pull Will back into the room over the slick ice that was now beginning to melt into water.

Will began yelling and trying everything he could to make a commotion and get some attention brought to the situation, now trying frantically to make traction on the floor with his body. The man yanked on Will's leg pulling him closer, and Will tried to wriggle from his grasp but it was a failing effort as the ice and water were making it nearly impossible to make any productive movements. He swatted his hands towards the man trying to get close enough to either protect himself or punch the man if he could. The man paid his movements no attention as he hurled the knife right into Will's left side, piercing his skin and plunging it deep into his stomach. Will cried out in pain and the man watched him writhe for a moment before removing the knife and wiping the blood off on Will's pant leg.

"Let this be a warning to you. She's mine." He said, and with that the man stood up, brushed the ice and water from his pants, and walked out. Will grabbed his wound tightly in pain as he saw blood beginning to pool on the floor. His vision became blurry and he noticed a round lady in a nightgown enter the doorway with a confused expression. "What's going on in here…?" She asked, taking in the scene. Will faintly heard a scream of shock before everything went black.

**Sorry about the cliffy…The next chapter should be up soon as I've already started it. :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N- Once again, sorry for the delay. In all honesty I was just being lazy in editing this chapter. I'll try to be less lazy. :P Hope you enjoy, and sorry for the cliff hanger ending I left you with last chapter.**

Chapter 10-

Emma looked at the clock on the hotel night stand. She noticed it had now been eight minutes since her husband had left for ice. A slight feeling of nervousness overtook her for a split second, and she tried to distract herself with her book, figuring that Will had likely run into someone to talk to along the way. Unfortunately, the distraction wasn't working. She shifted against the head board trying to make herself more comfortable, adjusting a pillow that was behind her to better support her lower back. Her attempt at reading was futile however, as the pages of words weren't even registering with her any longer. She put the book down beside her on the bed, deciding to call him and figure out what was taking so long.

Reaching for her cell phone she quickly dialed the first number on her speed dial, holding the phone to her ear and waiting for an answer. It rang once, and then she was startled by a loud buzzing coming from the counter by the hotel room door.

It was Will's cell phone flashing with her call.

Emma sighed as she pressed the "end call" button, putting her phone back down. She decided it would be a good idea to go in search of him, as she was beginning to worry. She grabbed her coat from the closet and wrapped it around her nightgown, taking a moment to button it up, and then slipped her feet into her slippers.

Normally she would care more about her appearance in public, but at this point she was really beginning to worry, so all thoughts of fashion were lost on her nerves. It wasn't like him to leave her waiting for so long and her feeling of uneasiness was growing by the minute.

Before she had a chance to reach the door however, there was a frantic pounding on it, startling her once again. She quickly rushed over to the peep hole to see who it was. Surprise sat in as she observed a round older lady standing there, beating frantically on the door, as opposed to her husband with a container full of ice and a lopsided grin. A sense of panic set in immediately.

She quickly opened the door in an attempt to figure out what was going on.

"The man! The man! He was hurt!" The lady yelled out frantically, her arms flailing from side to side. It was obvious she had been running before she arrived at Emma's room. Emma's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What?" Emma asked, trying to get her to calm down so she could find out what was wrong. "Who's hurt?"

The lady held up a hotel key with their room number on it that had fallen from Wills pocket and she waved in in Emma's face, trying to get the red head to notice the urgency. "The man from this room! He's hurt! We must go!"

Though the lady had a rather thick Spanish accent, Emma understood every word that left her mouth as she turned white as a sheet.

Emma's throat tightened. She looked to the key card, and then to the door, mentally checking to make sure the numbers matched. They did.

"Where is he?" Her heart skipped a beat from the adrenaline that was now coursing uncontrollably through her body.

"In the ice room!" Her words were a yell more than anything, as she began to run back from the direction she had come from. Emma followed immediately.

"I called 911 and they come for him now!" The lady was running pretty quickly for a woman her size, and Emma, even at seven months pregnant, was keeping up the pace. Fear and panic seemed to overcome any feeling of fatigue. Once they rounded what seemed like the millionth corner, the lady stopped abruptly in front of a doorway, no longer able to will herself into the room.

"There," She pointed somberly. It was the first time Emma had heard the lady speaking without frantic yelling. She would have preferred the yelling.

Emma peered into the doorway and the sight before her sent her head spinning. There was her husband, lying on the floor with a pool of blood coming from his abdomen, and what looked like a deep gash to his left side. If there was any color in Emma's face before she had arrived, it was gone now.

She immediately rushed over to him, kneeling beside his body, not even caring about the blood on the floor. Will's blood.

She tried to swallow but the dryness in her throat wouldn't allow it. There was an older Spanish gentleman who was already by Will's side, checking to see if he had a pulse. She registered somewhere in the back of her mind that the man was most likely the lady's husband, but it was a fleeting thought as her only focus at the moment was on Will's condition.

The man held his fingers to Will's pulse point and waited for a moment. Emma held her breath in anticipation as she scanned her husband's body for signs of life.

"He's got a pulse." The man said breaking the silence; relief washing over Emma for the slightest of moments.

Okay, he was still alive. That's a good sign. What now though? She had to focus. What was it that she had learned in that first aid and blood-borne pathogens class they'd had at the school? Oh, right. Pressure. She needed something to apply pressure to his wound.

"Give me your shirt." She held out her hand to take it, uncharacteristically demanding.

"What?" The man asked, slightly shocked at her question; obviously oblivious to her train of thought.

"Please, I need your shirt. I need to stop the bleeding with something or he will bleed to death," Emma said with a hint of pleading and desperation in her voice.

The man, now understanding her logic, quickly took off his coat and removed his shirt, handing it over to Emma. She wadded it quickly into a sort of ball and pushed it against Will's wound with a bit of force, ignoring the slight pain emanating from her braced left wrist. His body flinched and Emma held her breath, thinking that was a good sign. He didn't stir further. She allowed her weight to put pressure on the wound, hoping this would help stop the bleeding.

It was then that the sirens were clearly audible and they could hear tire screeching from the parking lot. The lady ran to the railing, pointing the medics to the right staircase and leading them to Will.

They quickly filed into the tiny room with bags of equipment and the Spanish man left his spot by Will to allow better access for the medics, putting his coat back on and joining his wife in the hallway.

Emma was firmly rooted to her spot hovering over Will, determined to stop every drop of blood from leaving his body, not even caring that there was blood on her hands as well as her knees and clothes. It wasn't until a medic put his hands over hers and called out, "Ma'am" that she snapped out of her shock. "I've got it from here." He said, helping her lift her hands and placing his own over the wound with clean gauze.

Emma fell back against the wall. It was the only thing her body would physically allow as she watched the medics quickly set up their instruments and hover over her husband with wires and needles and gauze. They cut his shirt off, allowing better access to his wound, and quickly rolled him to his side to see if the wound went through. It hadn't so they took the opportunity to place a bright yellow backboard under him and rolled him flat once more, strapping his head to the board. Wires were quickly attached to his toned chest and monitors were soon beeping rhythmic patterns as Emma tried to control the tightening in her own chest.

How did this even happen?

The voices of the paramedics were loud and deep as orders and stats were spoken, everyone in a sort of swift, yet organized, panic. It wasn't until she heard the one with the curly blonde hair say, "He's losing too much blood! We've got to move him!" That she snapped out of her spot against the wall. "What?" She squeaked out, panic laced in every movement of her tongue.

The commotion of voices and monitors and crinkling plastic bags with tubes and equipment continued to fill the small space.

"What's going on?" Emma asked a little louder this time, needing answers but not wanting to get in the way either.

Still, nobody acknowledged her words as they were all to focused on their specific tasks. Emma watched as blood continued to soak through yet another gauze pad and the man quickly added it to the pile of soiled ones as he placed another clean one over the wound, this time taping it down. Emma was no doctor but she knew that wasn't a good sign. Her chest and her throat were constricting as her breathing quickened further and she began feeling slightly dizzy.

"What's going on?" She practically yelled the words, demanding someone talk to her. One of the medics turned to her, finally noticing her presence, as the other men stood, collecting their equipment and helping to move Will to the gurney that Emma hadn't even noticed was there to begin with.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" The medic asked, noticing the blood all over Emma's hands and clothes.

"I'm fine! What's happening to my husband? Is he going to be okay?" Emma pleaded, tears now brimming her eyes. Panic didn't even begin to cover the rainbow of emotions coursing through her at that moment and she desperately wanted answers.

Her short shallow breaths were making it nearly impossible to get more than a few words out at a time and it was making it harder to focus. She wavered slightly in her spot, which did not go unnoticed by the paramedic.

"Ma'am, you don't look so good. Why don't we take you to the ambulance and check you out too, okay?" He offered a hand to her to help her up. Emma's eyes were only focused on her husband though as the men were beginning to wheel him out on the gurney.

"Where are they taking my husband?" She asked completely ignoring the man, all logical thoughts flown out the window at this point.

"Ma'am, we are taking your husband to Niagara Falls Memorial Medical. I think we need to check you out too though. You seem to be having a little trouble breathing. Let's get you to the ambulance and you can ride with us to the hospital, okay?" He placed one hand on her waist and one hand on her shoulders, gently guiding her to a standing position. Her body complied as best it could, though it was a good thing he was holding on to her as she otherwise would have fallen from dizziness. He helped her quickly to the ambulance and she was glad to once again be by her husband's side. She noticed a few police cars arriving at the scene and they were already beginning to tape off the room she had just left but she was still to shocked from the evenings events to register the full extent of what was happening.

Her gaze traveled to Will. He looked so pale and his lips were blue, but the monitors were beeping in pattern, easing her slightly, even though his appearance wasn't good. One of the medics had packed his wound and taped down clean gauze once more while the other man had intubated him. He looked so fragile lying on the gurney, rather lifeless. Emma's heart broke in two.

"Ma'am." Her thoughts were interrupted by a bright light being flashed into her eyes and she directed her attention to the voice she had been ignoring for the past few minutes.

"Wha-" Her words came out unfinished as her breathing was still fast and erratic.

"Can you tell me your name? Are you hurt anywhere?" He asked, flashing the light into her other eye, checking her pupils for reactiveness.

E-Emma. I'm Emma Schuester. I'm not hurt, just my husband." Her words came out winded through her shallow breaths, but he understood her regardless. Emma tried to ignore the tightening in her chest.

"Emma, I'm Kevin. Are you having trouble breathing?" He asked, pulling his stethoscope from around his neck.

"I'm fine." Emma said, her eyes drifting back to Will.

"Ma'am, your breathing is quite shallow. I'm going to listen to your heart for a moment, okay?"

Emma nodded in compliance, not really paying much attention to the man. Another wave of dizziness ran over her as he placed the cold end of the stethoscope to her chest. She grabbed onto the side of the vehicle for a moment, trying to steady herself. The movements of the large ambulance were not helping matters. She hadn't even noticed he had unzipped her coat as he looked at her with concern.

"Emma, your breathing is quite shallow. Are you having a panic attack?" He asked, grabbing her hands so she would focus on him. It worked as her attention was once again turned to him.

"I-I don't know…" She trailed off. It was becoming harder to focus.

"Sam, let's get some oxygen on her. I think she's having a panic attack." He called across the ambulance to the man sitting by Will's head. He got up quickly and attached a tube to a port on the side wall of the ambulance, then cranked a small wheel until the sound of airflow came from the other end of the long tube. He reached across Will and handed it to Kevin who took it efficiently and put the small openings to the tube into her nose while lacing the extra tubing behind her ears.

"Emma, I need you to focus on your breathing for me, Okay?" He held her hands in his once more, attempting to direct her focus to him. He tried to hold eye contact with her and took in deep breaths Emma could only guess she was expected to replicate. She did as she was told and began taking deep breaths, filling her lungs with the oxygen her anxiety wouldn't previously allow. This obviously pleased Kevin as he said, "Good job, Emma. Just keep doing that." And grinned widely, noticing a small amount of color returning to her features. She took several more deep breaths, trying to slow her heart rate and increase her oxygen flow. The dizziness was beginning to fade and her mind was better able to focus once more on the details.

"How far along in your pregnancy are you?" He asked, as he pulled out his stethoscope once more and placed it against her stomach, listening for a fetal heartbeat. He grinned slightly when he found it. "And are you allergic to any medications?"

"I'm…I'm 30 weeks." Emma said after thinking for a short moment. "I don't think I'm allergic to any medications." Her chest was beginning to burn less as the air was circulating in it once again.

"Okay great." Kevin said, letting go of her hands to grab a pen and a chart from the small wrack behind him. "What about your husband? Is he allergic to any medication?"

"No." Emma said, "He's only allergic to dust. And ragweed."

"Alright, that's great Emma. You're doing great." He said, talking soothingly to her so her breathing would continue to return to normal. "Do you know what happened to your husband?" He asked.

"I-I don't know. He went to get some ice and he didn't come back…and a lady came to my door telling me my husband was hurt. When I got there, there was blood. A lot of blood." Emma let out a small sob she didn't even know was in her. "Is he going to be okay?" She asked, staring once more at her husband's pale face.

Kevin placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as a gesture of sympathy. "It seems he's got a pretty deep stab wound to his abdomen. We are taking him to the hospital so that the doctors there can give him a transfusion of blood and make sure the knife didn't knick any necessary organs. We won't know exactly what's wrong with him until the surgeons have a chance to look at him."

"He's going to need surgery?" She asked, concerned.

"Most likely, yes." Kevin stated, just wanting to be honest with her.

Emma swallowed hard. "Okay."

"Okay Emma, we're almost there. Can you give me a few more details about your husband?" Kevin asked. She nodded, answering all of his questions that she could. The ride to the hospital was a short one, and Emma was thankful once they had arrived. Will's monitors were still going strong as they pulled him out of the back of the noisy vehicle. Sam, the medic that had set up her oxygen, pulled the tube from the wall of the ambulance and plugged it into a smaller green tank of oxygen that he handed to Kevin.

Both men helped her out of the ambulance and into a wheelchair, much to her dismay and protest. They wheeled her in quickly behind Will, but once inside they directed her to an exam room while Will went rolling down the hallway in the direction of the trauma rooms.

The sign on her room read "ER exam room 2."

"Wait, I want to go with my husband." Emma said, protesting their separation and attempting to get out of the wheel chair. Kevin was by her side instantly, helping her stand.

"I'm sorry but you can't go in there right now." A nurse with flowered scrubs told her as she helped Kevin move Emma and her things to the bed. Sam came in right behind them with a bag full of Will's belongings. "We'll get you checked out and cleaned up and if everything is okay we will take you up to the surgical waiting room." The nurse said, helping Emma move her body back onto the hospital bed and adjusting a few pillows behind her.

Emma let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that she wouldn't be able to argue it.

Kevin and Sam left after getting her settled, handing her a card so she could call them with an update once one became available. After she thanked them for their help they were on their way.

The nurse hooked Emma's oxygen up to the port on the wall and placed monitors on her chest so that they could monitor her breathing, and they set up a fetal monitor for that baby as well. The doctor came in as the nurse was starting an IV.

"Mrs. Schuester?" The doctor asked, looking at her chart. "I'm doctor Howards. I'll be taking care of you this evening." She offered her hand to Emma, who shook it.

"I hear you're having a little bit of trouble breathing after a panic attack?" She asked, looking over the monitors.

"I'm okay, really. I'm fine now." Emma said, wincing as the nurse pierced the needle into Emma's arm. "I'd really like to go and be with my husband please." Her eyes were pleading. She wasn't intentionally trying to be manipulative, but she was also determined to get to Will.

"Well it seems your oxygen levels are improving quickly." Dr. Howards said, looking over her chart and copying a few numbers from the monitors.. "You said you are 30 weeks?"

"Yes. 30 weeks yesterday." Emma clarified.

"Well everything seems to be fine here. We'll clean you up and keep you on the oxygen for another 15 minutes or until your oxygen saturation is back to normal. Then we can get you to the surgical floor to be with your husband. Does that sound alright?"

Emma nodded, grateful that the doctor was being understanding and compliant.

"If you are feeling anxious we can also offer you something to take the edge off." The doctor said, writing a script for Emma. She tore it from her pad and handed it over. "There is a pharmacy on the fourth floor that is open twenty-four hours a day should you need it." They went over a few more details and Emma was thankful when she was able to leave the ER 45 minutes later, dressed in dark blue scrubs and holding two bags of belongings. They directed her to the surgical floor where she began her waiting game.

Emma was in the waiting room for about 20 minutes when she decided to call Shannon. She hated to bother her friend, particularly this late in the evening when she was hundreds of miles away, but Emma didn't know what else to do so she let the phone ring until she heard the familiar voice on the other end.

"Ello?" Came a deep country voice, still groggy with sleep.

"Shannon, it's Emma."

"Oh, hey Em! How's it going in New York?" She asked, clearly pleased to hear from her friend.

Emma's eyes began to fill with tears. "Something's happened, Shannon." The other end of the line went silent. "Will was stabbed. We're at Memorial Medical Hospital in Niagara." Emma's tears began to fall at this point, and she choked on a sob as she willed her composure to return.

"What? " Came Shannon's confused question. "Em, give me the address. I'll be there faster than you can say cowboy on a camel!"

Emma paced the small floor of the private waiting room in silence. She had been walking from one end of the floor to the other for quite a while already, but it was the only thing that could sooth her as she waited. She had lost count of the number of "laps" she'd done after about 45. It didn't matter anyway though. Will was still in surgery and his life still hung in the balance. She just wished someone would come and talk to her.

She paused her walking briefly and stretched her back for a moment, placing her hand at her lower back for support. She felt so uncomfortable in the navy blue maternity scrubs the hospital had given her in exchange for her blood-soaked nightgown and coat. She wasn't used to wearing pants all that often, particularly ones with a large elastic middle.

She began pacing again, glancing at the clock as she did so. Four AM. They had been in surgery for about four hours and she still hadn't heard anything. That couldn't be a good sign.

Her feet and back were really beginning to hurt with the weight of the baby so she decided to sit down on the large couch for a few minutes. It wasn't until she sat that she noticed how swollen her feet were so she slipped off her hospital issued shoes and propped them up on a pillow. She was thankful this was a private waiting room, as she wasn't sure she would be able to deal with any people right now.

A soft knock came from the large wooden door and Emma looked up as a person with scrubs, much like her own, came in. Her breath caught in her throat as he pulled his scrub cap with palm trees off to reveal a bald head. Emma began moving to sit up but the doctor grabbed one of the waiting room chairs and quickly sat in front of her so she wouldn't have to move. "You're Emma Schuester?" He asked, holding his scrub cap in one hand and what she could only assume was Will's chart in the other.

"Yes," Emma stated, anticipation filling the room as she sat up a little bit straighter.

"I'm Doctor Noah Cahn. I'm the surgeon who operated on your husband tonight." He stated, offering her a hand. Emma shook it, and looked him in the eye, searching for answers.

"Is my husband alright?" She asked, half afraid of the answer.

"Your husband had a stab wound to his abdomen. The knife nicked a small amount of his large intestine as well as his pancreas. I was able to repair the damage and control the bleeding with several blood transfusions, and he is healing nicely in recovery now. I do need to tell you that he flat-lined in surgery twice as a result of the blood loss but we were able to shock him into a steady rhythm. Assuming he has no further complications, I expect him to make a full recovery." The doctor smiled at Emma, clearly happy to be offering her good news.

Emma let out a long breath, not even aware that she had been holding it, and a few tears trickled down her cheek. "Thank you Dr. Cahn. Thank you so much." Emma said, shaking his hand once more as a smile appeared on her lips as well.

"My pleasure." He said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "He is in surgical recovery right now and they will move him as soon as he wakes up to a room."

"Can I see him?" Emma asked, desperate to make sure with her own eyes that her husband was actually alright.

"Sure. I can take you to him now." The doctor said as he stood up. Emma quickly grabbed her belongings bags and slipped her hospital issued Crocs back onto her feet, and followed the doctor. It didn't take long for the pair to arrive at the large double doors that marked the entrance to the surgical recovery wing. The doctor typed a key code into the pad by the doors and they quickly opened.

Dr. Cahn led Emma to a large metal sink and instructed her to wash her hands and put on a mask as well as a hair net while in the recovery room. He got a page and left her with the on-call nurse as she scrubbed her fingernails one at a time. Once she was sufficiently clean, the nurse led her into Will's room.

It was incredibly small, but it didn't need to be big as it was only for short term recovery. Will looked so fragile laying on the bed hooked up to monitors and IV's. She was pleased to see he was no longer intubated though.

There was a white chair directly next to the head of the bed and Emma made her way over to sit down, placing the belonging bags under Will's bed. She cautiously looked him over, noting the color had returned to his cheeks. She rubbed his left cheek gently and placed a soft kiss on his lips. She was so happy he was okay.

"Oh Will. You really scared us." Emma said, placing her braced hand over her stomach. She grabbed his hand into her right one, relishing its warmth. She sighed lovingly as she watched him; his chest rising and falling with the monitors.

Emma's mind wandered as she began stroking the back of his hand with her intertwined fingers. She almost didn't notice Will's eyes flutter for a brief moment, but she caught sight of it out of the corner of her eye. Immediately she gasped and turned her full attention to his face.

"Will?" Emma asked gently, "Will, honey, can you hear me?"

At that moment the nurse came into the room to check on things. She noticed Will beginning to stir as well.

"Will, it's Emma. Can you wake up for me?" She asked, continuing to stroke his hand.

The nurse came closer, pulling the chart from the end of the bed as she did so and writing down the numbers from his monitors as well as checking the time.

"Will…" Emma urged again. His eyes fluttered once more, this time beginning to open.

Emma was thrilled to see his bright orbs once again as a rogue tear fell from her cheek.

Will coughed a little bit and grimaced as his eyes opened all of the way. He was looking around at his surroundings a bit frantically before his eyes settled on Emma, which relaxed him instantly. She smiled softly at him. "Will, you're okay." She couldn't contain her grin now as happiness flooded her entire body. He was okay, and that's all that mattered.


	11. Chapter 11

Sooo…It's been forever since I updated. I have no excuses. Just lost the motivation for this story tbh. I will finish this story, I am determined. I can't promise it will be soon though. So this chapter is for those of you who even remember what happened in the last chapter. Thanks for reading. ;)

Chapter 11

"Wha-Where am I?" Will asked as he attempted to sit up, grimacing at his own movement.

"Mr. Schuester, you need to lie down. You've just come out of major surgery. Do you know where you are?" The short brunette nurse asked, directing his attention away from Emma. She shined a light in each eye and wrote something down in his chart. Emma squeezed his hand urging him to answer the question.

"I-I think I'm in a hospital. What happened?" His face was etched with confusion and there was an annoying pain emanating from his left side that seemed to travel throughout his entire torso whenever he attempted movement.

"You were stabbed. Can you tell me the date?" An uninterested look plastered the face of the nurse who was buried in her chart.

Will thought for a moment, trying to brush off the nurse's coldness and comprehend the question. "It's December 12th, isn't it?" He asked.

"It's the 13th today, but that is close enough." The nurse corrected, writing in his chart once more.

"I-I was stabbed…" It was a question more than a statement, but as soon as the phrase had left his mouth Will was flooded with memories of the attack and everything that lead up to it.

"It's okay Will. You're okay now." Emma said soothingly as she ran her hand along his cheek once more. It was easy for her to sense his apprehension as he kept looking into her eyes for that calm feeling he always got whenever he searched long enough in them.

Emma was thankful when he finally relaxed into her touch.

The nurse called the doctor in and had him examine Will as well, finally clearing him to move to a new room. They were in a hospital room before long and Emma quickly helped Will settle into the new space. After a small amount of food had been consumed and some sleep had been received the couple heard a soft knock at the door. "Em?"

Emma heard the familiar voice as she came to open the door, pleased to see Shannon there with a few bags. "Shannon, you're here!" Emma said, wrapping the woman into a hug. This was quite a feat for a mysophobic person but Emma couldn't help herself in this instant.

"Of course I'm here!" Shannon said, returning the hug and walking into the hospital room. "I wouldn't be anywhere else." She flashed a grin that momentarily lit up the room.

Emma smiled, ushering her over to the large chair on the right of Will's bed. Shannon placed the bags she had with her on the table near the wall and settled comfortably into the chair. "How are you feelin?" She asked, directing her question at Will.

"I've been better, but I'm not too bad." He said, placing a hand near his bandaged wound. Emma came around to the left side of the bed and fluffed Will's pillow a little bit before taking a seat in the foldout chair on the opposite side of the bed from Shannon. "You know, you really didn't have to drive all the way up here for this." Will gestured to himself, not wanting to make a fuss over anything.

Are you kiddin me? As soon as Emma called and told me what happened I was on the pavement. Friends help friends in their time of need, and buddy, this is your time of need," Shannon pointed to his bandaged abdomen for emphasis. "You gave us all a good scare there!" She added with a small chuckle.

"You're telling me," Will said, returning the chuckle, then instantly regretting the amount of movement involved in laughing.

"Careful Will." Emma grimaced, noticing his flinching. "You don't want to tear your stitches," She reminded.

Will sighed. "I know, I know. I'll be careful," he relented.

"Well I brought you guys some clothes and things from the house. I wasn't sure how long you'd be here and I didn't want you to get stuck in a rough spot without enough stuff to get by," she said, gesturing to the bag. Emma noticed the circles under her friend's eyes and remembered that she had been driving all night.

"Thank you so much Shannon. I don't know what we'd do without you," Emma said, offering her best look of thankfulness. "Have you gotten any sleep since you came in?"

"Not since about one or so. It's okay though; I can go down to the cafeteria and grab some coffee," The last thing she wanted was to have Emma worry about her.

"Shannon, you should really get some sleep. You are welcome to nap on the pull-out if you'd like. It's not the most comfortable, but it gets the job done," Emma got up from her seat so her friend would be able to use it.

"Oh no Em, that's okay. Really. I'm gonna run down the street a few blocks from here and grab a room at the hotel there. You both don't need me snoring up a storm while you're trying to rest." Shannon let out a deep chuckle at her own joke. Both Will and Emma laughed a little bit at their friend's amusement. "We can share a room if you'd like Em. I can get a double. That way you won't have to sleep in that lumpy pull-out chair."

"Oh, thank you so much for the offer Shannon, but I think I ought to stay with Will until he's discharged. The nurses said I can stay and they've already brought me some brand new sheets. I just want to make sure Will is okay. I really appreciate the offer though." Emma graciously declined, but she couldn't help thinking how wonderful her friend was to offer. The last thing she wanted to do was stay another night or more in a filthy hospital but she couldn't bear to leave Will.

"That's probably a good idea. Someone to keep him company while he's healin can always do a body good." She pat Will lightly on the shoulder and he returned a smile.

"Well I'm gonna head on over to the hotel and take a quick nap. If you need a shower Em just let me know and I'll come bring you a room key." Shannon stood and grabbed her few items. Emma stood as well and walked her to the door, thanking her once more for coming all this way and bringing some things from home for the couple. Once Shannon had gone and both Will and Emma were awake at the same time, they finally had a moment to talk.

"Em, how are you holding up?" Will asked as she sat once more in her chair. He fished for her hand, holding on to it once he found it.

"Will I'm fine. You're the one in the hospital bed." Emma stroked the back of his hand soothingly with her thumb and looked at him with her sympathetic puppy dog eyes. Will melted instantly.

"Em, you're not fine. I might be the one in the hospital bed but that doesn't mean this whole situation isn't causing you stress. I'm worried what kind of affect all of this stress is having on your body." His eyes drifted to her swollen stomach just as her free hand had roamed there.

"I'm alright Will. Really. The doctor gave me a prescription in case things got too overwhelming and I can fill it whenever I need to. Don't worry about me; focus on your own healing right now." Emma's intention was to reassure Will but she had failed to properly analyze her words before she said them.

"You got a prescription from a doctor?" Will wanted to sit up but that was a bit impossible so instead he raised his head off the pillow in concern. "What for? Did something happen to you that I don't know about?"

Emma bit her lip nervously and averted her gaze. She knew he would be able to read her like a book but she couldn't help the habit. "I-I…may have had a panic attack when I saw you on the floor…covered in your own blood." Emma looked at every area in the room she could find, except for Will's face.

"You what?! Em, why didn't you tell me?"

She couldn't help but look at him after that statement, but she instantly wished she hadn't. His face was so distraught and filled with concern that it ripped her heart in two.

"I-I am telling you now…" Her voice was meek as she suddenly felt like a guilty child who had broken their mother's vase and lied about it. Will looked at her pointedly.

"How long did it last? You didn't pass out, did you?" He was obviously bothered knowing his wife was in distress while he was unconscious, and he couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt for being the cause of it.

"I'm not really sure. At the time it didn't really register that I was having a panic attack, but looking back on it I think it probably started about the time the medics came." She was looking in his general direction now, but still not at him.

"And when did it stop?" He probed.

She bit her lip. He knew that wasn't a good sign. "After we got to the hospital…"

"Emma, why didn't you tell me?" He asked, grabbing her other hand in an effort to get her to look at him.

"I wasn't trying to keep it from you Will, I just didn't think in your condition that it was necessary to bring it up." She finally looked at him, wanting to make sure he realized that she wasn't trying to hide anything on purpose.

"It's okay Em, just please tell me the next time you have a panic attack or are prescribed medication in an emergency room. I promise I won't be upset. I just want to make sure the two of you are healthy and safe." Will said, squeezing her hands.

Emma smiled meekly at his protectiveness, even from a hospital bed. He really did seem to be feeling like himself and she was pleased for that.

An abrupt knock came from Will's hospital door as the couple was once again interrupted.

"Come in." Will said, wondering which nurse had come to check on him. He and Emma were both surprised to see two police officers dressed in black uniforms walking into the room instead.

"Mr. Schuester, I'm Officer Davis and this is my partner, Officer Miles. We need to file a police report and were wondering if you would be up for talking." The man offered his hand and Will shook it politely. He looked at them hesitantly for a moment but quickly relented.

"Sure. Now is fine." He rubbed the back of his neck as though he were trying to work the stress out of it.

Emma couldn't help but hold on a little bit tighter to his left hand. She understood all too well the situation he was in and how uncomfortable and difficult it could be to talk about something like what he had gone through. Will seemed awfully tough on the outside but she knew he was really having a difficult time processing it all.

She couldn't blame him really. Being attacked so violently really changes a person. She decided at that moment that she would need to be Will's rock for a change and she would do whatever she could to help him through it.

"Alright," Officer Davis pulled out a pen and note pad, "Why don't we start with before the accident. What were you doing before you got attacked?"

"I…I don't remember much." Will's face scrunched up in thought, "I was going to get some ice from the ice machine, but I didn't want to leave my wife alone. I remember talking about it for a minute and then deciding that it would be safe to go, so I put on my shoes and began searching for the ice machine."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but you said you decided it would be safe to get the ice. Safe from what?" Officer Miles questioned, picking up on Will's choice of words.

Emma nervously looked to Will who returned the look.

He took a large breath before he began, "About two months ago my wife was attacked in our home. It turned out to be a stalker, but the police have yet to catch him. We came to Niagara Falls from Lima, Ohio to get away from it all." He looked to the officers to see if that had clarified anything for them. They both looked at each other, then to Will, clearly expecting him to finish his story.

Will sighed. "I was worried her stalker might have followed us here, so that's why I was questioning the safety of leaving my wife on her own in the hotel room. I hadn't really thought about myself getting hurt to be honest…" Will stared off for a moment, trying his best to focus his thoughts.

"Alright, so you decided to leave. What happened after that?" The officer shifted to the seat that Shannon has formerly been occupying, making himself more comfortable for taking notes.

Will's eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried his best to remember the events of the previous night. It was almost like trying to recall what had happened the next morning when the previous night was spent intoxicated.

"I-" he stammered, "I remember grabbing my key card from the counter so that I could get back in…and the ice bucket." Emma ran her hand through his hair lovingly, trying her best to help him feel comfortable as he recounted his steps.

"I remember walking down the short corridor by the north facing staircase. I didn't see any signs for an ice machine so I turned around and went the other way. I think I remember turning down the long hallway that smelled like pastries." His brow furrowed, "Yes, it was the one by the conference rooms."

Once more Will stared off in thought as everyone in the room was on pins and needles waiting for him to remember. He put his hand on his chin as though that would help the thought process, but decided it was having no effect and placed it back on the bed. "I remember seeing a sign for vending machines and ice so I walked past to conference rooms and into the room with the ice. I filled the bucket and then…and then a man came in. The man from the boat." Will's eyes narrowed as the emotions he felt in that moment came flooding back to him like an angry wave in the ocean, relentless and harsh.

"From the boat?" Emma's attention was immediately caught by this. "What man?" Emma swallowed hard.

Will had tears coming to his eyes by this point. "Emma." His hand squeezed around her hand that hadn't left his side since the officers had arrived. He removed her other hand from his head and held onto it too. "All I could think of was Emma alone in the room. As soon as I saw him I knew who he was and I was so scared he was going to hurt you. I hadn't even thought about him hurting me." Tears were pouring freely as he sniffed.

"Will, what man did you see? Who did this to you?" Emma urged, anxiety growing wildly by the second. They had seen her stalker on the boat?

"The-the man that took our picture." Will stated as he finally was able to remember the previous evening. It was like the missing puzzle piece he knew he had but couldn't quite figure out where it belonged until this moment.

Emma gasped and released one of her hands to cover her mouth. She had to sit down in the chair to stabilize herself.

"Excuse me, you've met this man before? Is he the one who did this to you? Do you know what his name is?"

Questions flowed from both officers as Will and Emma were simply trying to come to grips with the information.

"I don't know who he is. I'd never seen him before in my life before the boat. He-he's the one. He's the one who hurt me." Will said, gaining a small amount of composure as he reached over for the box of tissues. He offered one to Emma and took one for himself as well.

"How about you, Mrs. Schuester?"

"I-I don't think so. I mean he seems familiar, but I don't think I know who he is." Emma felt useless. After two months of agonizing torture over who the stalker was they had finally figured it out and she had no clue who the strange man was. It was all so discouraging.

"What happened after the man came in?" Officer Davis asked.

"I talked to him for a minute. I could tell something was off and I just wanted to get back to Emma…to make sure she was okay. I tried to walk around him when he-when he stabbed me," Will swallowed hard, knowing that he needed to continue, "I remember the way he looked at me when I fell to the floor. It was so cold. So uncaring. I've never seen anyone look like that man did in that moment. It was one of the scariest moments in my life." Shivers encompassed his frame briefly. "I blacked out after that, then I woke up here."

"Thank you for your time Mr. Schuester. We will send a sketch artist this afternoon so we can get a composite drawing. I'm also going to have your files transferred from Lima. We'll do everything in our power to stop this man. If there's anything else you can remember or you think may be important to this case, feel free to call me." The officer had stood and offered his hand to Will, who politely shook it, then offered his business card, which Will took.

"Thank you Officer Davis." Both men escorted themselves out of the room, allowing the couple to have some time alone.

As soon as the door closed Will moved over in his bed ever so carefully allowing enough room for his wife to squeeze in. She complied and gently curled into his non-wounded side as they held each other and cried. Questions of fear and doubt flooded the forefront of both of their minds. _When would this be over?_

X

_Rehab._ Will hated rehab. Why did he have to go anyway? It's not like he had broken a limb or anything. Though he did think it might be nice to get to the bathroom without help again. It had been an agonizing three days in the hospital and he was already wanting to be discharged after the first day. He knew he was getting close though. The doctor had said his wound was healing nicely and now that he was up and moving in rehab on his own, his prospects of being discharged were turning in his favor. Hopefully he would only require one more rehab appointment before getting the okay, and that was in just half an hour.

Will had to admit he was pleased to no longer be using the wheelchair. Or the walker for that matter. Yes, the cane he was using as support was much more dignified, and he would only need that for the remainder of the day with any luck if his physical therapy session went well. It had never really occurred to him how often a person uses their abdominal muscles until his injury.

He was thankful to have Emma by his side every step of the way though. Even with her fatigue and inability to get a good night's sleep in the hospital, (even though he had on several occasions banished her to the hotel room with Shannon), she was like a rock to him. Always there to encourage when he needed it, and praise when he was feeling down. Yes, he was lucky with this one. He couldn't help admiring her as she helped him stabilize his walking on the path to the bathroom. He hadn't really needed it at this point, but she liked feeling useful and he loved the way she lit up when she felt she was being helpful, so he had pacified her request and allowed her to escort him to the bathroom.

It wasn't until his physical therapy session was over that Will really had a moment to celebrate. The doctor had issued him a clean bill of health and he was okay to be discharged. They were going home finally, and Will couldn't contain himself as he pulled his wife into a hug. Not too tightly of course, for both of their sakes. Emma was just as ecstatic as Will was, though perhaps more apprehensive about what to do next. They had planned to return to Lima once Will was discharged, but beyond that they didn't know. She was just pleased that the SPO had been re-issued to not only her, but Will as well. She could rest a little bit easier with that knowledge.

The car ride home was a long one, and Emma was quite tired of driving by the time they pulled into Shannon's driveway.

"Looks like the officer is already here," Will said, pointing to the police car parked in front of Shannon's. He waved at the man who waved back.

"Oh good. I was hoping he would beat us here."

"Why don't I grab the bags from the back and we can get the two of you tucked into bed," He said as he reached over and rubbed her stomach for a moment.

"Why don't I have Shannon help with the bags while _we _get _you _into bed, mister," She placed her hand over his and looked at him pointedly as she opened the car door. His hand fell from its place atop their growing child as she angled her body sideways so it would be easier to get out. The new weight of the baby was making formerly simple movements a new challenge every day.

"You heard what the doctor said. No heavy lifting and no marathons for at least a week. Not until your stitches are fully healed," She gave him a knowing smirk as she closed the door and made her way to the front door, disappearing into their friend's house.

Will's mouth hung open for a moment as he took in her confident words. So much for his plan of getting what he wanted with a puppy dog look. He should have known he wouldn't be able to argue with her.

He quickly grabbed a few bags from the back and headed in before anyone could reprimand him. He put them in their bedroom completely unnoticed by either woman. Shannon had made her way outside to retrieve the rest of the bags when Will noticed Emma walking into their room with a sigh and a tired expression. She was so wiped out and her bed was the only thing she desired at the moment.

"You look a little tired after the drive. Why don't I get you something to eat really quickly before you head to bed?" Just like Will to be putting her needs before his own.

"That's alright Will, I munched on some fruit in the kitchen when I came in. I think I'm just going to change and head to bed," She had reached the foot of the bed by this point and stopped for a moment as a yawn overtook her. She stretched her arms up to the ceiling as she yawned quietly, raising her blouse to reveal just a tiny amount of baby bump.

Will couldn't help but seize the opportunity as he reached over to her and brought her stomach to his mouth, placing soft kisses on the exposed skin protecting their baby. Emma immediately giggled into his touch as her yawn all but dissolved. She ran her fingers through her hair as he continued his soft kisses on every inch of her stomach, and she couldn't help but giggle again once he reached her sides. They were especially sensitive and he couldn't help but tickle them when he had the chance. The giggling subsided and the couple gazed into the other's eyes. Will tugged softly on Emma's arms, gesturing for her to sit down next to him. She complied as she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.

"We are going to be okay Emma. We're strong. If anything, this whole situation has just proven that time and time again." Will tried his best to reassure her.

"I don't feel strong." Emma replied, meekly.

"I know, but you are. And we are making progress in the case, now that the police have a composite sketch, and there's more to go on. I'm sure this will be over with before we know it." He rubbed circles on her back as she relaxed into him. He planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Yeah. Hopefully sooner rather than later." Emma added. "Let's go to bed."

"Lets." Will said as he stood, then helped his wife up from her sitting position. They both got ready for bed quickly, too tired to be tedious about a routine. Will and Emma were in bed before they knew it and Will immediately pulled Emma into him. She wrapped her hand around his, which was lightly draped over their child.

"I love you Will Schuester."

"And I love you Emma Schuester. Good night my love." He softly kissed her head. They were both out cold as soon as their eyes closed.


End file.
